Rangers Of Equestria
by Megazord Master
Summary: One evil. Two dimensions. Seven Elements. The fate of Equestria lies in their hooves.
1. Day of Destruction

Disclaimer: Usual stuff. Yes, Pinkie crashes into the 4th wall and shatters it. Nopony else does, only she does. How? Don't ask me. Anyway, Power Rangers aren't mine, My Little Pony isn't mine and names, locales and other trademarked stuff isn't mine. Everything you don't recognise is mine.

Edit: Do not adjust your set! Fleshing out this chapter a small bit as well as a few other chapters.

Rangers Of Equestria

Chapter 1: Day of Destruction

Unknown place

_**I fear he will make a move soon.**_

_Is everything ready?_

_**It will have to be. How is the other doing?**_

_He is still grieving. It will take time for him to accept what happened._

_**He will do his duty, which I am sure of.**_

_Did you feel that?_

_**It is time.**_

Ponyville

It was another bright and beautiful morning in Ponyville. The pegasi were clearing up the skies and ensuring that everypony had another brilliant day. Twilight Sparkle inhaled deeply as she stepped out of the Library and basked in the morning sun. The purple unicorn hadn't gotten much sleep the night before since she was up almost all night studying. The Library had so many books on all different subjects and there were books she hadn't read before and…

And she was rambling in her head again. Staying up all night was a regular occurrence, but the binge last night was strange, even for her. She didn't know what possessed her to start reading on Interdimensional theory and past military strategies or even why she had wanted to commit the information to memory. It wasn't as if the Library would be destroyed, right? Unless one listened to whatever Pinkie Pie was rambling on about today about being some in some crossover story and how the world was going to change in a few hours.

Trotting through the streets, she thought about her friends. She knew Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were helping with the weather and whatever else pegasi did. Rarity was in her boutique with Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. Applejack was tending the farm and tweaking her apple cellar to ensure there were plenty of apples over the winter. Spike was in the Library psyching himself up to go visit Rarity. That just left Pinkie Pie in Sugarcube Corner. Silently groaning to herself, she walked to the pastry shop and poked her head in.

"Pinkie? Are you in here?"

At once a pink blur slammed into her, throwing her into a conveniently placed hedge. For a brief moment, she didn't know which way was up or down, but quickly she quickly regained her bearings. Spitting out a hoof-full of leaves, twigs and other assorted plant matter, she looked at Pinkie Pie. The bright pink Earth Pony was bouncing up and down on the spot. Seeing that her friend had finally surfaced from the hedge, Pinkie began speaking.

"Goooooooooood Morning Twilight! What a nice day it is now! Nice for us here, but not that nice for the author! The sun is out but its hidden behind all those clouds and it looks like its going to rain soon and he should really stop writing and get back to work! What if he gets caught? Again? No, don't look behind you, I can see you and I can see myself, but nopony else can! And now an edit? Stop putting words into my mouth! But if you stop, then I can't speak! Oh no!"

Twilight blinked hard and then slowly shook her head. Ever since the Gala, Pinkie had gotten it into her head that they were all fictional constructs and stories were being spun of them all the time. As she thought about the hyperactive pony's ramblings, she started to compare them to what she had read last night. Of course she knew there was only one of her and only one of each of her friends. Only one Equestria, only one set of the Elements…wait. Why was she thinking about the Elements of Harmony? They had vanished soon after the purification of Nightmare Moon and hadn't been seen since. As she chuckled lightly to herself, she thought about the crazy rumours that had been spreading through the town. Sightings of Princess Luna flying over the town in the dead of night carrying saddlebags of strange objects; it all was just speculation to what was happening.

She frowned lightly as Pinkie cart-wheeled through the air. The next point wasn't a rumour per se but it was strange nonetheless. From her talks with the others she had noticed the recurring theme of strange chills and shakes that came without warning in the dead of night and vanished without a trace. Of course, she hadn't told anyone where the shakes and chills had started from on her body…but she had a feeling it was the same area as the rest of them. The tremors and shakes felt like the feeling that she had felt when she had activated the Elements of Harmony…but her connection to the Element of Magic had been cut after the freeing of the Princess.

Of course, she had felt a faint stirring when she had sent Trixie running, but…

The Library exploded.

Ponies ran for cover screaming as wood, books and fire rained down from the sky. The two ponies could only stare in shock as beams of light struck various buildings around them, setting them on fire. Rolling columns of smoke rose from the burning wrecks and ponies tried to free loved ones or save sentimental items…or even to give comfort to those in their last seconds. Twilight could only stare in shock. The Library was her home for the past year and not it had been destroyed in a ball of fire. All of her work, her research and Spike…

Spike had still been in the Library…

Twilight forced her legs to move and shakily started galloping towards the wreck of the Library. Next to her, Pinkie Pie ran as fast as she could while gaping at the destruction. Sucking as much air as she could into her burning lungs, she yelled over the noise of the explosions.

"Twilight! What's happening? What are you doing?"

"Spike was still inside! If he didn't get out in time…oh, I don't know! I don't know anything at all!"

Tears were streaming down her face and her breath was coming out in ragged gasps. If Spike was gone…no, she couldn't think about that. She _wouldn't_. As they neared the wreckage, all hope faded from Twilight. Nothing but a pile of blazing wood and smouldering pages was left of her home. Her eyes fell on a shredded basket and she felt tears spring to her eyes. Nothing…and no one would have survived.

"Twilight! Anypony! Help!"

The familiar voice drifting on the wind made her pause her mourning. Spike had been in the Library, but she could hear his voice coming from the direction of Carousel Boutique. The two ponies looked at each other and raced in that direction but skidded to a dead halt when they saw the scene in front of them.

Rarity was on the ground in front of the ruins of her business while Spike was tugging at something on the ground, yelling for help. Fluttershy was near him, speaking to something on the ground. Applejack had a hoof on Rarity's shoulder and was hiding Apple Bloom's head from something. Above them, Twilight could see Rainbow Dash directing lightning bolts and narrowly avoiding the beams being blasted from below. All of a sudden, Spike paused from what he was doing and ran towards Twilight.

"Get down!"

Inhaling deeply, Spike blasted a spout of green fire from his snout at the space behind the two ponies. All Twilight heard were birdlike screeches of pain and the crackle of burning feathers. Looking behind her, Twilight gasped in shock as a burning form lurched towards her. It looked like a crow, but it was much bigger. Some sort of armour covered its chest and upper wings as it reached toward her. Stumbling back, she summoned a blast of magic and directed it at the creature, pushing it backwards onto blazing rubble. When it didn't get up again, she slowly backed up to see what Spike had been pulling at.

There on the ground lay Sweetie Belle. She was impaled on a wooden beam that had planted itself into the ground and was stuck. From what she had seen, the beam hadn't hit anything vital, but it was still distressing to see that much blood come out of somepony that small. Sweetie turned her hear up and smiled shakily at the unicorn, her voice sounding dangerously weak.

"Twilight, I'm going to be fine. Don't worry, jus…jus take care of Rarity."

Upon hearing her name, the purple maned unicorn ran to her dying sister's side and nuzzled her gently. Her glamorous mane was dirty and there were scrapes and cuts on her once pristine body. She whispered something to Sweetie, which seemed to calm her somewhat, and sank back looking utterly defeated. No words would come out of Twilight and she doubted she could find the right words to say. A sudden crash nearby sent them all wheeling around in panic before they saw Rainbow Dash's crumpled form nearby. She had flown too close to one of the beams and had a hole punched through a wing. The steady rise and fall of her flanks were the only sign Cloudsdale's greatest flier was still alive.

The sound of heavy footfalls broke the sombre mood surrounding the ponies and their heads all whipped to the source. Striding through the flames was a creature none of them had ever seen before. To Fluttershy's eyes, it looked similar to one of the fish she had seen in the Everfree Forest – a piranha – but this one was walking upright. It had two arms protruding from its sides and its mouth was seemingly fixed into an evil grin, showing rows of teeth. Dangling from one hand was a pair of fish shaped flutes connected by a chain made of bone. As it neared the ponies, it let out a laugh and spoke; its voice both jovial and menacing.

"Well, what do we have here? Looks like its time for me to dive in and have a feeding frenzy! Say your goodbyes little ponies!"

Time slowed down as the fish brought up one of the flutes to its mouth. Twilight huddled around her friends and waited for the end, when an unfamiliar voice cut the air around them.

"Get off this planet, scum!"

TBC…


	2. Blue Stranger

A/N: Am back! Once again, Power Rangers and My Little Pony aren't mine. The order of the stories is Tremors, Beginnings and Rangers of Equestria. If you read these in order, you won't be lost. And if you know your Rangers, you'll know who the Big Bad is.

Edit: Another chapter with new edits made to it! Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Blue Stranger

**Location Unknown **

He stared at his left hand in shock. True, he hadn't expected the transformation to go smoothly, but having a hoof-like hand was strangely disconcerting. His legs were another problem as the right knee wanted to bend both ways at the same time. Until he was used to the sensation, he would be leaning quite heavily on his staff. That or he could use his new tail for balance. The only good thing he could think about was that he could still easily access _that _and it would certainly make his recovery and adjustment a whole lot ran his only good hand over his chin and inwardly groaned to himself.

It would have been much better to wait around the forest to see what else he could merge with, but he had been impatient. Ironic that he had spent years casting the transport spell and had been extremely patient…only to forcibly merge with and mutate the first creature that had come across his path without getting a good look at it first. After the dust had settled, he had drug himself and the remains of the creature to a nearby cave to set up his primary outpost. He had been lucky to stumble across a stream that he used to see what he new form looked like. As far as menacing looks went, it was pretty much a mix of his old body and the horse-like inhabitants of this world. He was just grateful he was able to walk on two legs.

As he stared at his hoof-hand again, his ears perked up at the sound of explosions in the distance. His monster had reached a town and was carrying out his orders to destroy. Then again, if he wanted to cement himself as the ruler of all he saw, he would have to stop the creature sooner or later to gain a good reputation. He quickly dismissed the idea, flicking his bony tail impatiently. A good reputation would be an antithesis to everything he had stood for. He rolled his head on his neck and focused his gaze on the crumpled mass of flesh and bone at his feet. It would reform into a recreation of its former form soon enough but whatever thoughts and mind it once had was gone. As he walked towards his makeshift throne, he felt something strangely familiar. He tried to shrug it off, but it kept gnawing at him. It was unstable and flickered, but if he didn't know better he swore it could have been…

Whirling around, he focused his long range vision to the destruction. He could see his monster cornering a group of pathetic life forms. With growing delight, he could see two of them had been injured – one mortally and one…well, in a few seconds it would be over.

And then he saw it.

The cave blazed bright red.

**Ponyville**

The ponies looked around for the source of the voice, but they couldn't see anything . All around them were the screams of the dying and the crackle of fires. The air was thick with choking smoke, burning wood and the sickly smell of burning meat. The creature jerked its head up and seemed to snarl. It scanned the area, gills flaring around its head. Satisfied that there was no one coming, he raised the flute to his lips again.

A red beam lanced out of the smoke and struck the monster. It was followed by three more blasts from the same location, knocking the creature away from the ponies. Acting on instinct, Twilight concentrated on the creature and encased it in a magic dome. It wouldn't last forever but it would do for now. As the dome crackled, she turned her attention to the two injured ponies. Rainbow Dash could be moved and her wing would heal with enough time…but Sweetie Belle…

The poor foal was now making weak movements as if she was on her last legs. As far as she knew, Sweetie was. Rarity had crumpled to the ground wailing and Fluttershy was nudging Rainbow Dash to try to wake her up. Applejack was comforting a crying Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie was…she didn't care anymore. Distantly, she heard the dome crack and break apart and the throaty cry of the creature. Resignedly, she turned around but her eyes widened at what she saw jumping out of the smoke.

It was another biped – of that she was certain, but it was clothed in blue material that seemed to shimmer in the light. On its chest was a white diamond flanked by two half diamonds. Like Spike, it seemed to have usable hands and feet, but there was no tail or identifying spikes. Its head seemed to be covered with some sort of helmet which encased the whole head and had an opaque visor and a small silver plate. The helmet was decorated in the shape of some sort of animal, but the unicorn had never seen an animal like that in her years of studying. Around its waist was a belt which held a strange octagonal buckle that held a small gold disc. In one of its hands, it held a strange red device which she presumed was a weapon of some sort. As the ponies watched red beams of light shot out of one end and repeatedly struck the monster; forcing it back.

As the blue figure landed, it twisted the device a few times until a blade flipped out. With a speed she had never seen before, the new biped leapt at the monster and delivered a series of slashing attacks to its scaled belly. The monster howled once but didn't budge from its spot. Getting the feeling that the new Blue biped was exhaling in exasperation, she summoned up a weak magic blast that struck the monster and knocked it over. Satisfied that, for now, the monster had been dealt with the stranger walked over to them. Twilight numbly let it pass without complaint as she was still in shock from what had happened. Quietly moving the distraught Rarity aside, the figure looked at the injured foal and spoke.

"This will only hurt for a second."

In one swift movement, the figure raised the blade and swung it down. Twilight raced to block the blade, but skidded to a shocked stop for the second time. Cradled in its arms was Sweetie Belle; now free from the beam that had impaled her. Noticing for the first time of the ponies that looked at it, the figure seemed to relax, but did not drop the injured foal. Twilight could hear the figure murmuring to itself quietly and strained her ears to pick up on the words.

"Not again. I won't let this happen a second time. It can't happen a second time."

Raising one arm to its helmet, the figure spoke into its hand and glanced at Rarity. As it shifted, Sweetie Belle weakly opened her eyes and stared at her rescuer. She felt herself growing weaker, but struggled to stay awake.

"Luna, I have two ponies here that need emergency medical teleportation and one that…maybe needs a sedative."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rainbow Dash groggily rise up and stare at the strange figure and the fallen monster. Finally registering the words the figure had spoken, Twilight wondered if the figure knew that Princess Luna hadn't been seen since her purification. To Twilight's shock, Princess Luna's voice issued from the figures hand.

"I copy that, Billy. Stand by"

To the ponies' shock, a bright white light enveloped Sweetie Belle, Rarity and Rainbow Dash causing them to avert their eyes. When they cleared them, the three ponies were gone. Applejack rounded on the figure, eyes blazing.

"What did you do with them? You better give 'em back or Ah'll…Ah'll buck you up somethin fierce!"

The figure stood up and glanced down at the orange Earth pony. Its voice was calm, but held an edge of steel to it.

"Your friends are fine and you will see them soon. Please stand back. I need to deal with this monster and then I will take you to them."

Turning, the figure positioned itself between the now upright monster. Holding both hands out in front of it, it readied itself for anything.

TBC…


	3. Destiny

Chapter 3: Destiny

Billy circled the monster warily. He knew what the creature was and who had sent it. He shifted his grip on his Blade Blaster and quickly glanced at the ponies behind him. They stared back with an aura of suspicion and fear, which was to be expected. He would bring them to their destinies soon enough but he had to get rid of the monster first. That meant destroying it or damaging it enough to send it packing. Or he could do an emergency group teleport, but that had its own drawbacks.

The only problem he had was his borrowed power was running out. He had already used up a sizeable chunk on his flashy entrance and freeing the injured foal and the rest was running out. Soon, he would be drawing power from his own body which would not last long at all. He had to finish this fight fast. Inhaling deeply, he ran at the monster, ducking under a wild swing to stab the blade up against its chest armour. As expected, the blade bounced off, sparks flying. Extending his left arm, he grabbed the monster and shoved it back onto what he supposed was a mannequin for dressmaking. Sparing a quick glance at the power meter on the inside of his visor, he stowed his Blade Blaster and readied himself. This would take split-second timing but he could pull it off.

"Power Lance!"

In a bright flash, the double ended lance materialised into Billy's grip. Twirling it around, he waited for the monster to stand up before discreetly tapping a hidden button near the middle. Jerking his arms apart, the lance split into two and began crackling with power. Praying it would work, Billy crossed both halves and thrust them towards the fish monster. A split second later, a crackling bolt of energy shot forth from the crossed shafts striking the creature dead on. In a blaze of fire, the monster flew back and vanished in a puff on smoke. Falling to his knees, Billy felt his Power Lance dematerialise and started to feel light-headed. He had used up too much power in that last attack, but the monster had been driven away. Weakly, he lifted up his communicator and spoke into it,

"Luna. Need teleportation of myself and six others ASAP."

Tilting his head towards the group of ponies, he tried to make his weakening voice sound as reassuring as possible.

"Hang on and don't tense up. You'll be fine, I promise."

In a crackle of royal blue and white, the ponies and Billy vanished.

Location: The Lonely Mountain

When Twilight's vision cleared, the first thing she saw was the strange figure sprawled on the ground in front of her. It appeared to be breathing weakly which was a good thing. What didn't seem like a good thing were the small lightning bolts crackling over its body. As she was about to prod it with her horn, a bright flash forced her to squeeze her eyes shut. Judging from the surprised and pained cries she heard around her, she was the quickest to do so. Mentally sighing, she tentatively opened one eye and gasped in shock.

Where the clothed figure had been before was a strange animal. It looked like a hairless ape or maybe an offshoot of a gorilla…or what an ape would look like if it had cloth coverings on its body and feet. She slowly backed away until her hindquarters bumped into something cold and unyielding. Stifling a scream of surprise, she whirled around but stopped as her eyes grew as wise as dinner plates.

Around her was a wondrous mix of technology and strange devices. There were windows that showed other locations and something that looked like an energy meter…and a power regulator if she had studied correctly. Dimly, she was aware of Applejack coming up beside her.

"Wha…Twilight, Ah've never seen this place before. Where in the hay are we?"

"You are in the temporary Command Outpost built in the Lonely Mountain."

All heads jerked around to see a midnight blue alicorn appear from a side hallway. Her mane swayed in an unfelt breeze and her crescent moon Cutie Mark contrasted beautifully against her skin. Looking at the group with her understanding and patient blue eyes, she trotted to where the figure lay and gently nudged it with her horn. Rolling her eyes slightly, Princess Luna shook her head as a small smile appeared on her muzzle. Turning toward the ponies, who had all bowed at her appearance, she shook her head once more; eyes dancing with suppressed laughter.

"Rise up, all of you. I'm sure you have many questions, which I will do my best to answer."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by a groan from the sprawled figure.

"Did anyone get the number of that bus?"

Looking at the figure, she saw that it was starting to get off the ground. She watched as it clung to a nearby device for support as it rose on its two legs. Finally gaining its balance, it dusted itself off and looked at the shocked Twilight, stunned ponies and amused Luna. Letting out a stifled groan, it rubbed the back of its head sheepishly and made a strange motion with its arms. Taking that as a sign to continue, Luna spoke again.

"My little ponies, it has been a long time since I have last seen you. Celestia has kept me updated and I am very grateful that the six of you have come together as a team."

The ponies bowed their heads at the praise while Apple Bloom and Spike gazed at the Princess in awe. Clearing her throat, she looked at the figure and motioned to it with her horn.

"This is Billy. He has come from a…different plane of existence to help with your new task. Billy, can you please brief them?"

Billy looked at the group and back at Luna. Raising an eyebrow, he turned around and spoke aloud – seemingly at the buttons themselves.

"Dimitria, if the patients have healed then let them come to the main chamber. It's time for explanations."

As he settled himself against the console, Luna came up beside him and nudged his arm with her nose. Rolling his eyes, he sighed in mock frustration and pulled out the same device Twilight had seen earlier, but now it looked dulled and had a large crack running down the centre of it. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but was distracted by the three forms that stepped into the light: Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle's horrific injury was gone and while she looked a bit pale and swayed on her feet, the filly stood proudly. Rainbow Dash's wing was also healed and she flexed it triumphantly for the assembled group to see. Also, Rarity's scrapes and minor injuries had healed as if by magic…which was probably the case.

As the group rushed towards their friends, Billy toyed with the object in his hands. Running a thumb across the face of the dulled disc, he could faintly feel the lines and ridges that made up the Wolf Power Coin. Sighing slightly, he placed the object behind him and looked into Luna's questioning gaze. Shutting his eyes, he shook his head once. He should never have told the alicorn about the darkness in his heart, but she did have a point. He had to accept it sooner or later…but if _he_ hadn't let her die…well, there was no point thinking about it now. His voice cut over the din of the reunion, silencing everypony.

"You are here because you have been chosen by the Elements of Harmony to help save your world. Using the Elements and advanced technology, you will become the first, last and only line of defence against the darkness that is to come."

He paused for dramatic impact and let a slight smile play over his lips. The next line never got old.

"You will become Power Rangers."

TBC…


	4. Embracing The Power

A/N: Tried to put as many Day Of The Dumpster references as I could here. And Power Rangers and MLP aren't mine…which is probably a good thing. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Embracing the Power

"Power Rangers? Beg pardon Mister Billy, but what's that?"

Applejack pawed nervously at the floor. Being whisked to some strange place was one thing and seeing her friends healed was another…but being told that they were the only line of defence against some evil was a whole new kettle of strange. And the Elements of Harmony, she hadn't seen hers since after the celebration in Ponyville. Funny, she still didn't remember taking it off after. She looked around and saw that Rainbow Dash was looking at her with a smile on her face. She pushed down the strange feeling inside her and was about to ask Rainbow what she was smiling about when Billy answered her question.

"To answer your question, the Power Rangers are a fighting force that exists to protect the world."

Reaching behind him for the object, he brought it out to the assembled ponies. With great reverence, he wiped the soot and scorch marks away from its surface and held it up to the assembled ponies. Twilight could see that strange letters adorned the top and bottom halves of the object and gasped as her eyes traced the design in the centre of the coin. She watched as Billy pushed a red button on the bottom left, noticing that he was preparing himself for…something. With a muted pop, both halves of the object sprang open and nothing happened. Billy looked torn between relieved and disappointed. He continued his explanation, idly toying with the open object.

"This is a…let's call it a Generation 1 Power Morpher. It was given to me by an Interdimensional being called Zordon more than a decade ago."

Applejack's ear twitched as she heard the bitterness in his voice at the mention of Zordon, whoever he was supposed to be. Turning around, Billy tapped something on the metal box and the black windows came to life. Images showed various figures in suits like Billy had worn before, but they were different. Various gasps issued from the ponies as they saw buildings being destroyed, creatures attacking and the figures fighting. Billy continued as they watched.

"What you are seeing on the screens are recordings of Power Rangers. There have been many teams over the years with different enemies and different powers. It was very fortunate that you used the Elements of Harmony to purify Nightmare Moon a year ago. If anyone else had used them besides you six, Luna would not be standing here."

Heads whipped round to stare at the dark alicorn, causing Billy to wince internally. All that whipping of heads would lead to a neck ache, but he supposed the young fillies would heal quickly. Seeing the look on his face and as she was now the centre of attention, Luna took up the narrative.

"It is true, my little ponies. You six harnessed the magic of your friendship to break me free as the Elements reacted to the true feelings you had in your hearts and an unconscious desire to see me freed. Had another group used the Elements, their hearts would have become tainted by the legend of Eternal Night and the Elements would have utterly destroyed me."

Luna stepped towards one of the screens and pointed her horn at it. The image changed from a group of five animal themed fighters to something none had ever seen before – Equestria from space. The ponies stared at the image, slack jawed. Luna prodded Billy with her horn and with a muted sarcastic sigh, he spoke.

"Your world of Equestria is filled with magic. This may seem like common knowledge, but what is different about your world is the sheer variety. Unicorns are born with innate magic that can be focused through their horn. Pegasi can use slight amounts of magic in their flight and weather controlling. Earth ponies, I'm told, have a strong connection with the earth and vegetation, which is also achieved through magical bonds. I'm sorry if this seems like common knowledge, but these magic bonds are how you will be able to wield the Elements to their fullest."

Rainbow Dash blinked and shook her head. They had used the Elements to their fullest, hadn't they? Using them to purify Nightmare Moon had almost killed all of them and while she loved taking risks, another dosage of that might spell doom for all of them. She voiced these concerns to Billy, who nodded to Luna and then left. Luna blinked once at his retreating form and then rolled her eyes. Since Billy had gone to get the Elements, it would be up to her to inform them…if she remembered all the information Billy had told her.

"The Elements of Harmony are the physical manifestations of Equestria's most powerful magic. When Billy came from his other dimension, he managed to bring along something that is pretty much the only thing in the entire multiverse that can complement and strengthen the Elements. It was he who transported the Elements after the celebration to fuse them with those crystals. I admit…some times, it was very entertaining viewing…"

_Flashback_

"_Luna! Get that fire out! The crystalline structures combusted again but they fused briefly!"_

"_Billy…are you sure this will work? This is the fourth fire this week! We can't keep using the dragon above us as an excuse! Celestia is about to send those six to remove the dragon!"_

"_Just needed that one last bit…and it should work! It will work!"_

"_All right…I guess I should turn on the air recyclers then…"_

_End Flashback_

"With perseverance and patience, he was able to fuse them to the Elements. They will tap into the limitless magical wellspring of Equestria amplifying your natural abilities tenfold."

The sound of footsteps caused Luna to trail off as she felt a familiar aura. Turning her head at the sound of a door opening, she saw her sister – Princess Celestia – walk into the chamber with Billy and another figure. She looked to be the same as Billy, although Luna knew she was much older and wiser than him. Bowing her head at her sister, she saw the other ponies had bowed; even Twilight Sparkle. As Billy cleared his throat, she winced as she noticed how quickly their heads sprang up. Shaking her head in mild uneasiness, she trotted to stand next to her sister.

"My little ponies, for the past year I have seen you all grow up and band together. Now, Equestria faces a crisis like no other. An ancient evil has escaped into our world and the six of you are the only ones that can stop it."

Applejack nodded and stepped up with a hoof in front of her. Her voice was loud and strong.

"Well, Ah don't know 'bout the others, but you can count on me! Ah'll be one of these Power thingies for sure!"

Rainbow Dash stood next to her, flaring her wings dramatically…trying to hide the waver in her voice as she tried to cope with her feelings.

"You want a strong flier in the group, I'll be there! I'm sure everypony else will accept, right girls?"

Nods and cries of acceptance filled the air and Billy smiled. Now that they had accepted, it would be easier for him to explain what he had done to make them Rangers. He just hoped that in the upcoming battle the monster wouldn't grow – the Zords were in the final stages of testing, but some bugs needed to be ironed out. Glancing at Celestia, he stepped forward and swallowed.

"When Princess Celestia brings forward your Elements, they will look the same, but they will be empowered with the Zeo Crystals. These crystals are, to use simple terms, crystallised Grid Energy. Um, this is another type of magic that complements Equestrian magic. When in danger, raise your Element Morpher to the sky, calling out its name and you will change into a Power Ranger. The default morphing call is It's Morphin Time! I could explain this process…but it's too complex for ponies to grasp."

Twilight nodded her head again but frowned suddenly. She knew the Elements would somehow transform them into super ponies or something, but she had seen Billy fight and he was much more experienced than them. For one thing, he actually had hands and could manipulate objects much more effectively. She voiced these concerns aloud and was taken aback as Billy shook his head sadly. When he spoke, his voice carried a tinge of sadness and bitterness.

"For reasons I won't go into right now, I can only use my powers for a very limited time. If they were charged by an outside source, I could fight longer…but I can't drain both Luna and Celestia of their power."

Seeing the ponies accept that, he nodded at the white alicorn. In a dazzling flash of light, the Elements of Harmony appeared in the air before them. Twilight could see that there were small changes to the necklaces and that the gems shaped like their cutie marks had a thin band of…something around them. Even her Element had changed to look like the others but if it functioned the same, that would be all that mattered. Celestia pointed her horn at the Elements, causing them to glow in their respective colours and hover above their bearers. Her voice was regal, but carried an undercurrent of gravitas.

"Applejack, bold and powerful, you will be the Red Honesty Ranger. Rainbow Dash, clever and brave, you will be the Blue Loyalty Ranger. Pinkie Pie, fearless and agile, you will be the Pink Laughter Ranger. Fluttershy, graceful and smart, you will be the Yellow Kindness Ranger. Rarity, confident and fierce, you will be the Green Generosity Ranger."

Five flashes of light engulfed the respective ponies and their Elements, bathing the chamber around them with their Ranger colours. When the light faded, their Elements were snugly around their necks and were faintly glowing. Reaching up, Billy plucked Twilight's Element from the air and gently placed it on her head. His voice was soft and reverent.

"And Twilight Sparkle, patient and wise, you will be the Purple Magic Ranger and will be the leader of the Rangers."

As soon as the words left his lips, Twilight felt a rush of magic enter her body. Something inside of her felt like it had settled into place and for an instant, she felt complete. Her mind buzzed with information and various forms of fighting methods. With some time and concentration, she was sure she could convert them into something that could be used easily by ponies instead of bipeds. If not, she was sure she could come up with something.

Her musings were cut short by a horrible screeching that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. Everyone clapped their ears in pain and with some degree of difficulty, Billy shut off the noise. He smiled sheepishly at the pained faces of the ponies around him and nodded once to the other biped in the room.

"This is Dimitria, who will guide you and advise you in your battles. But that's not important right now. The monster is back and is attacking Ponyville again. Morph and defeat the monster."

Twilight looked down at her Element Morpher and back at Billy. Nodding once, she relaxed and let the powerful energy flood her body. In unison, the six ponies cried out.

"It's Morphin Time!"

TBC…


	5. Z

Disclaimer: Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie and I want you to know that the Power Rangers and My Little Pony aren't the property of the author! He wishes they were, but it's probably a good thing they aren't because I like being me and don't want to be crossed over into something else. Where's the author? Well, he wrote the chapter below and then I came in and he looked at me and I looked at him and he mumbled something about getting a drink and left. He'll be back for the next chapter! Hopefully. I think he left his keys in here. Oh well. Enjoy everypony!

Chapter 5: Z

He stared at the creature in front of him and growled. This one was useless, but had managed to capture some valuable data. For one thing a Ranger had slipped through the cracks and was protecting the pathetic life forms of the planet. Judging from the strong signature of Morphin energy, it was one of Zordon's brats and he knew which one. It would be the one who had the most incentive to run away and leave everything behind. Snarling, he raised his left leg and kicked at the wounded monster. It didn't move…not that he was expecting it to. Whatever new move the brainiac had cooked up had knocked his monster down for the count.

Whirling around, he surveyed the damage to the walls of the cave. He cursed himself for not having the foresight to protect the walls with an enchantment. He had almost forgotten how much heat his anger could put out. He touched the face of the wall with his good hand and winced under his mask. The rock was still bubbling slightly, but at least it hadn't turned to lava. That would have been a pain to clean. He supposed he could have gotten his assistant to clean it off, but the pony was still getting used to her new body…and trying to fix her shattered mind.

Leaning on his staff, he hobbled to the mouth of the cave and looked out at the scenery before him. from the memories of the pony he had merged with, he knew that the area around him was called the Everfree Forest and that it was deemed to be not normal. He didn't see anything unnatural, except for him and his small group. Sniffing the air, he grimaced as he smelled burning feathers in the air. So much for the attempt at Tengas – his next batch of grunts would have to be better. Maybe he would use the rest later on in his attack. He looked down at his strange leg and tested it again. It was still the same; the same being that it could bend both ways at once.

Growling to himself, he started reviewing footage of the battle. The Ranger had shown strangely high levels of magic, although that level had dropped sharply after the special attack. Hobbling out into the sunshine, he could see a thick column of smoke rising in the distance; a sight that pleased him greatly. Still, the thought gnawed at him…why was the Ranger powered by another source other than his Power Coin? If he remembered right, the Power Coins were no more than dust…although a few months before the wave there had been that rumour that the second Black Ranger had used a damaged coin to morph. He had dismissed it then as a false rumour started by Divatox, but what if the space pirate had been correct? If she had been and the destroyed Power Coins had somehow been reconstituted…no, the coins only retained a small amount of Grid energy. A prolonged Morph with a reconstituted coin would result in extreme pain and internal damage. Also, there was that other rumour that the brainiac couldn't morph anymore. Something about some negative protons and other impossible stuff. Still, if the other brats had their Power Coins back, it was worth looking in to…

Shelving that thought, he glanced behind him and the weakly moving monster. Snarling at the beast, he raised his staff and mumbled a dark incantation under his breath. A dark haze surrounded the fish monster and forced it to its feet. Plates of bone armour thrust out from the arms and sides of the beast and its head seemed to be encased in a helmet made from its own skull. The flute whips fused together and formed a thin dagger, which gleamed in the hazy light. He stormed into the cave and spoke to the monster, his voice whistling through the gaps in the metal grille on his face.

"You will go back to the town and completely destroy it. Leave no one – human or pony – alive. You were the first monster to defeat the Power Rangers before and you can do it again. Go now, my Pirhantishead monster. Destroy the town. Soon, the entire world will be under my command!"

As he threw his head back to laugh, he saw the monster bow and teleport out. Running a hand over his exposed brain, he cackled. One Ranger would make no difference in the long run, especially one that had a time limit on his armour.

He would crush all opposition and grow his empire. With a flash of dark energy, his ultimate trump card appeared in his hand. He stared at it and drank in its power. With this, he would conquer all resistance and bend all minds to his will.

And Lord Zedd would rule.

TBC…


	6. Rangers of the Elements

Pinkie Note: Usual stuff. He doesn't own any licensed or trademarked or copyrighted property. And he should really invest in better locks. He's being chewed out by his boss, so he can't write more today. Oh well. Enjoy, everypony!

Chapter 6: Rangers of the Elements

When the last of the teleportation sparkles faded from her vision, Twilight Sparkle found herself back in Ponyville. Hearing a small gasp behind her, she glanced back…only to feel her jaw drop. Her friends were clad in the same sparkling material as she had seen Billy wear previously. Their heads were clad in helmets with a representation of their Cutie Mark as the visor. Each of them had their Element necklaces incorporated into the armour and in Twilight's case she could see that her Element crystal was in the middle of her helmet. She noted that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had their wings free, but they were protected by a sturdy layer of armour – as was Rarity's horn. She also noticed that their manes and tails were free, but their tails were sheathed in some sort of metal.

Hearing a low growl behind her, she whirled around and her eyes widened. It was the monster they had seen before, but it looked different. Its torso was now covered in bony armour, the head encased in a streamlined helmet and grasped in a scaly fist was a thin blade. Twilight didn't want to know what it would be like to be stabbed and didn't think any of the others wanted to know either. Snorting in anger, she pawed at the ground and lowered her head. As if in reaction to the movement she felt a rush of magic to her horn which, in turn, reacted with her Element Crystal. In the back of her mind, she could sense the others doing the same – even Pinkie – although she couldn't explain how she knew. As they were about to charge, they stopped short as the same joyous voice erupted from the monster.

"What? Ponies in fancy costumes won't stop me! I claim this here planet in the glorious name of Lord Zedd!"

Lonely Mountain

Billy's head jerked up sharply as the monster revealed his maker. Truthfully, he knew Zedd was in Equestria, but had thought that the entity would wait for a while before revealing his identity in a grand flourish. On the other hand, Edward Steel had informed him that the entity would be playing by its own set of rules. Shaking himself out of the past, he stepped to a console and tapped a few buttons.

"Rangers, I am configuring your Element Crystals to serve as your default blasters. This will take about five minutes. Hang on until then."

Ponyville

Hearing Billy's announcement, Pinkie Pie nodded even though he couldn't see her. Or maybe he could with a camera or maybe with a camera that was upgraded lots. She was confused with all the information she could see on the inside of her visor because for some reason, she knew it all. Seeing as they were still in a frozen standoff, the used her eyes to scroll through the possible options. Laughter Blaster was her Element Crystal Ranger Blaster…or something like that and according to Billy, it would be out of action for a few minutes. She faintly heard Twilight's battle cry and stepped aside lightly to let Applejack through before resuming her search.

Smile Slicer had something to do with her tail, but she didn't know what since her tail was covered in some sort of metal that wasn't metal. She ducked as Fluttershy was blasted back and dismissed the Smile Slicer. Selecting another item, she saw something called the Boomer Blaster, which seemed to be a component of a bigger Pegasus-themed combination weapon. The text was a bit too small, but she squinted in an attempt to read it…jumping away from an energy blast from the monster. Also dismissing that option, she rolled to one side as Applejack and Twilight crashed together in a heap, their suits smoking. Scrolling down more, she saw an option called Pie Fling which intrigued her. Flicking her eyes over the text, she nodded to herself and looked up at what was going on.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were flying around the monster and were dive bombing it with tail swipes, Rarity was helping Twilight and Applejack up and was charging her horn for something. The creature was being hit from all directions and randomly firing its lasers pretty inefficiently. Pinkie could see if the creature thought about the target and adjusted its power output; it could destroy the group in one shot. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she bounced toward the monster and ducked as Rarity used her magic to fling a giant boulder at it. Jumping up, she bounced on the rock and dived straight down at the monster…accidentally activating the Smile Slicer. In a muted pink flash, the metallic covering on her tail had morphed into something similar to Gummy's tail – spiky and sharpish on one side with a soft underside…but it was metal, so there would be no soft side. Why did she think she needed to take a break so it would be easier on the readers? And why would they be readers anyway?

Dismissing the thought, she used her momentum to somersault through the air. She hoped that the spiky side of her tail would hit the monster and do something to it…but if it didn't. Oh well, live and learn. Either by sheer luck or coincidence, the spikes on her tail connected with the bony plates on the chest with a loud crunch. Pulling her tail away from the creature, Pinkie grimaced as she surveyed the damage.

The front of the armour had a jagged hole in it and some of the bony shards were driven inward. Frothy yellow liquid dribbled out of the cuts which smelled like old, rotting fish. Pinkie gagged and regrouped with the others, making sure she deselected the Smile Slicer. As they watched the injured monster try to slowly extract the bone shards from its chest, Billy's voice crackled in their helmets.

"Girls, the Element Blasters have been configured. The command for a single shot is 'Fire'. For a charged shot, the command is 'Charge and fire'. Aim for the weakest spot and it will increase the damage."

Twilight snorted heartily in response and glanced up at the sky. Thick clouds of smoke were still obscuring the sky, but dusk was rapidly approaching. They had to wrap this up quickly and begin the cleanup operations, though she knew they would take much longer than usual. Scrolling through the weapon menus in her helmet, she selected the Magic Shot and felt her Element crystal grow warm. At once, the display in her helmet changed to a strange cross circle image that seemed to be directed by her eyes. Swallowing hard, she aimed the cross image at the monster and shouted out one word.

"Fire!"

A star shaped bolt of purple energy erupted from her Element Crystal and struck the monster's head and shattering its helmet. As it roared in pain, she shared a look with her friends and nodded once. Well, she nodded at her friends but sharing looks were kind of hard when looking out from an opaque visor. Rolling her eyes, she aimed her cross circle image thing at the wound on the monsters chest and vocalised the deathblow.

"Charge…"

Five other voices followed. Applejack's confidence, Rarity's determination, Rainbow's fierceness, Fluttershy's courage and Pinkie's…utter randomness. One by one, their Element Crystals crackled with power and magic, slowly charging up the fatal discharges.

"And…FIRE!"

Unknown Location

Zedd snapped off his vision in anger. He had to make his creature grow. Holding out his good hand, he summoned the classis growth grenade to him…only to have it disintegrate within seconds. Snarling in rage, he pointed his staff towards the battle and muttered the ages-old spell under his breath. All he got was a brief burst of sparks…and nothing. He roared in rage – until a voice broke his enraged screaming.

"Lord Zedd...energy is dependant on empire. Only two of us. Not much energy. Must grow and punish first."

He looked away from the mouth of the cavern and focused on the twisted mass in front of him that had once been a unicorn. Faintly, he heard the explosion that signified the death of Pirhantishead and nodded sagely. He motioned for the former unicorn to keep going.

"Ally awaits on Deinos Terra Firma. Third continent far from here. Once legend but is true. Discord will come again."

Zedd stroked his chin with his good hand and sat on his obsidian throne. There were always other ways to make monsters grow and if his new minion was correct…well, that was one way to rebuild his empire. Stepping out into the light, he revelled in what his merge had done to the washed up unicorn. Tentatively balancing on two misshapen legs, the azure pony stared at its bony hands in a mixture of delight and revulsion. Shuddering as if recalling some horrible memory, it reached up and clutched at the tatters of a purple cloak studded with stars. The unicorn looked up at Zedd with an insane glint in her eyes and an unsteady voice.

"Yes, Zedd must make them pay. Pay for what they do to Tricksy!"

TBC…


	7. Celebration

Pinkie Note: He always leaves the door unlocked. Not sure why. Anyway, the licensed stuff isn't his. Which is pretty much everything. Hmm. Oh well. He said it's a short chapter because he has something up his sleeve…but I don't know what it is cause he said I can't look cause I get stuck and he gets stuck and…gotta go, here he comes! Oh! He had to edit this cause he forgot about something and had to gel everything up! So it'll flow better and stuff!

Enjoy everypony!

Chapter 7: Celebration

Inside the temporary Command Outpost, spirits were high and voices were raised in celebration. Just mere moments ago, the six newly minted Power Rangers had seen a terrible creature destroyed by their power. Both Princesses celebrated happily, while Billy and Dimitria conversed quietly in a corner.

"Billy, you must tell them about the enemy. They heard the monster speak the name of Zedd and they will be curious about him."

Billy sighed softly and looked at the partying ponies. Twilight was laughing wildly as she was lifted up on the backs of the two pegasi. Applejack and Rarity were conversing animatedly with the Cutie Mark Crusaders – even Scootaloo…who had thankfully avoided the crisis in Ponyville but had been teleported to the Outpost by Spike…once he learned how to use the teleporter.

"I know Dimitria. I also have to tell them lots of things, but for now…just let them enjoy their first victory. I will tell them about the rules but after that I need to check on the construction."

Dimitria sighed and nodded. Out of all the former Rangers that could have come to this new dimension, she was glad that Billy had jumped at the chance. Of course, she knew he was running away from a painful past but as long as he guided the Rangers wisely. Looking around the temporary Outpost, she shot a questioning look to Celestia. The monarch was confused for a moment until she nodded sharply.

Clearing her throat lightly, Princess Celestia quickly quieted the conversation in the chamber and smiled warmly.

"Rangers. It is time you left this Outpost and moved to your permanent Command Tower. I fear that our enemy will easily be able to find us if we stay."

Twilight nodded at the Princess' proclamation but felt an odd sense of melancholy flood her. Even though she had only seen the Outpost for a few minutes, it already felt like a second home. As she voiced these thoughts, she could see the others nodding in agreement. The Princess looked at her sister in silent conferral before glancing once at Billy. The human turned and tapped at something, switching all the screens off.

"All right everyone, remember what I said. Don't tense up and you'll be fine"

Twilight's world disappeared into bright purple sparkles and she felt herself being stretched up like a spring…or one of Pinkie's crazy slings. Around her, she could hear surprised giggles coming from the Cutie Mark Crusaders…as well as a grunt of surprise from Spike. When she…reformed, for a lack of a better word, she gasped in wonder and amazement. She had seen the technology in the temporary Outpost and had been amazed, but this…the lights and screens…

They were standing in a long hall that was decorated regally. The waning light shone in through windows that were decorated with images from ages long past – images both from Equestria and…from wherever Billy was from. Thick marble columns supported an arching roof which was painted in wondrous symbols and images. Placed at various intervals were similar metallic boxes with various screens and buttons on them. At the head of the room was a strange cylinder that seemed to be made out of glass. The figure called Dimitria lightly cleared her throat and spoke.

"Welcome to the Command Tower. You will stay here until Ponyville is rebuilt."

Twilight slowly walked down the hall, gazing at the sights around her. She could hear excited chatter and whisperings and was surprised as Spike leapt onto her back and pointed out excitedly.

"Twi, look! We're in Canterlot!"

Looking out the windows, she felt her jaw drop open yet again. The entire Palace was spread out below her and she could easily see her old home. Her eyes swung to both Princesses who smiled and laughed behind their hooves. She saw Billy walk to one of the windows to look out in awe and exchange a few words with Princess Luna.

Seeing that all the everyponies attention was off her, Dimitria levitated up to the tube and settled inside it. Technically, she could survive outside the tube but it fatigued her and it was too much of a strain to receive messages from the others. This way, it would be much easier to stay connected to the Rangers and both dimensions. Clearing her throat, she smiled as everyone's eyes turned to her. She smiled behind her veil and addressed the Rangers and their friends.

"You six are the bravest heroes Equestria could ask for. When an opportunity to defend your home was presented, you grabbed it with hooves outstretched. It is with great honour, as a Morphin Master, that I grant you the official title of Equestria Rangers!"

All six Rangers smiled and bowed their heads while the Cutie Mark Crusaders and both Princesses stomped their hooves in delight. Slowly, the din faded as a strange sound filled the air. It sounded like two bowls knocking against each other, but it was more organic. As Twilight looked up, she saw Billy slapping both of his hands together. He looked down with a slight smile on his face and spoke.

"Well done, Rangers. Twilight Sparkle, as one Ranger to another, I can say that you lead your team to great victory. I expect you all have a great deal of questions, but they can wait. I've never been prouder to know such a close and strong group of Rangers as you."

Twilight ducked her head and blushed as everyone cheered and laughed. She was about to say something, when Billy started speaking again – this time in a more serious tone.

"Now that you have become Power Rangers, you must follow three simple rules or you will lose the protection of the Power. One, never use your power for personal gain. Two, never escalate a battle unless forced. Three – and this is the most important rule – keep your identity a secret. Besides close family, myself, Dimitria and the Princesses, no pony must know you are a Power Ranger."

In unison, all six Rangers nodded. They respected the gravity of the situation and the responsibility of the Power placed upon them. They had unanimously accepted that the life they had before was gone – never to return. As Applejack reflected on their decision, it was in a way like Ponyville. The Ponyville that had stood for Celestia knew how many years was gone and a new start lay ahead. She hoped Big Macintosh and Granny Smith were all right in Sweet Apple Acres. The destruction may not have gone that far but sound travelled and smoke lingered. Billy spoke again, his voice taking on a wistful tone.

"The days ahead will be long and the battles hard. Never give up hope. You six were chosen by the Elements of Harmony to become saviours before you became Rangers. All of Equestria is counting on you."

Billy paused and swallowed a lump in his throat. No matter how much bitterness he held toward Zordon, the next words would always hold a very special meaning to all Rangers.

"May the Power protect you."

TBC…


	8. Awakening

Disclaimer: Power Rangers = Saban. My Little Pony = Hasbro. Discord (based on the Horse Orphnoch from Kamen Rider 555) = Hasbro and Toei. Anything you don't recognise = mine. All clear on that? Good. Enjoy. And RIP Steve Jobs.

Chapter 8: Awakening

The sun beat down on the barren ground. As far as the eye could see, there were no trees or bushes or anything green. Tufts of seemingly dry grasses forced through the cracked ground and one could see zebras eating and collecting them in the distance. The only respite from the blazing heat was the night. The two figures walking the plains didn't care for any of that.

Lord Zedd snarled through his grille and looked at his travelling companion. The unicorn once known as Trixie was useful when the fog of insanity lifted from her mind. He supposed that he was to blame for the insanity, but a quick look into her mind suggested otherwise. He shuddered lightly as he thought of the images he had seen. Not that he was afraid of them, just that even for him they were a bit unsettling…even for him.

The deranged unicorn had regurgitated a good bit of information about Discord and what she knew. From what he could make out of her jumbled words, Discord was a warrior that had managed to overthrow the ruling monarchy for a short period. Any creature who dared to stand up to the Princess of the Sun was a worthy ally, especially now with the new Power Rangers about.

He gripped his staff tighter as he thought about the day's events. Power Rangers had stopped the glorious return of his empire – both familiar Rangers and unfamiliar. The old Blue Ranger would be a nuisance except Zedd was certain that the Power Coins were destroyed. One or two may have resurfaced and repaired in the "home" dimension, but that was there. He stopped his train of thought as his twisted minion came closer.

"Where is this prison? If you've wasted my time here worm, I will destroy you!"

Trixie – or Tricksy as she called herself now – pointed the shattered stub of her horn in one direction. Light blue sparks of magic issued forth and seemed to fizzle out. Focusing through the constant agony of her mutating flesh, she nodded once and spoke.

"Prison close. Not far. Master, Discord may not be so gracious to your attempt to free him."

Zedd nodded and focused his vision in the direction Tricksy had indicated. He disliked the heat as it slowly cooked the topmost layer of his exposed flesh and his brain. If he didn't get out of this heat soon his reign of terror would be over before it began. Through the haze of the heat, a tower of some sort could be faintly seen in his field of vision. Not wanting to waste any more time in the blistering heat, he reached down and grabbed Tricksy by her remaining wisps of mane and vanished in a shower of sparks.

Tomb of Discord

For the billionth time, Discord was bored. The ponies he had been imprisoned with only lasted for so long until they died or killed themselves. He supposed the last one had to do with his…eccentricities. On the other hand they would have gone mad eventually – even without the whole eating of the dead bit. Idly, he wished Celestia had gone all the way and encased him in stone instead of imprisoning him. She would have probably put him out in the Palace gardens, tied a ball on a string on his horn and played tetherball. Or kept him as a macabre trophy and something to scare the little fillies with.

Reaching up, he adjusted his helmet and bowed to an imaginary dance partner. Keeping time to an invisible beat, he began dancing a Viennese waltz with a partner that seemed to be better than him. A change in the air made him miss a beat and stumble his steps. Pausing the music in his head, he stuck out his tongue and tasted the charge. Two beings; one strangely unicorn-ish and the other magical humanoid mishmash of space and pony. In other words, it was odd. As he felt a tingling in the air, he rolled his eyes. If magic could breach the walls, he would have been out within a few days of his imprisonment.

As expected, the first blast had no effect. He wanted to tell the beings that they were wasting their time…but he didn't think his voice would reach the outside. Also, he wanted to save his voice for the turning. Yes, those outside would serve well as his personal guards…and if they didn't. Well, he knew what would happen then. Rolling his eyes, he paced away from the wall and lay down on the ground. He wished Celestia had thought to put a window in somewhere but maybe that was only reserved for family.

A drilling sound broke him out of his boredom. Drilling would be a smart thing to do but even with a magical drill it would…be…impossible.

A slight cracking sound was all the warning received before the "impenetrable" stone prison came crashing down. Coughing through all the dust and grime, he stared out into the haze and took in his new servants. One was a horrid mess of twisted flesh that somewhat resembled an azure unicorn…although its horn was shattered beyond repair. He swallowed down his bile as he realised the flesh was slowly twisting and warping and if he listened hard enough, he could hear bones cracking and snapping together. He didn't know what the unicorn had been in direct contact with recently, but whatever it was, it was gradually mutating the body.

The other figure was a menacing humanoid with silver and chrome armour and strange tubes running over its body. It had no skin and seemingly no skull. Where its face would be was an emotionless mask of steel and its brain pulsed slowly. Squinting in the light, Discord thought he could see eyes behind the blood red visor, but dismissed it as a trick of the light. The chrome and flesh humanoid seemed to exude an evil essence that eclipsed his. As a wicked grin crept over his face, he prepared to induct them into his fold. He knew his voice was smooth like honey…and that honey would ensnare his prey easily.

"My friends, I thank you for freeing me. We will usher in a new reign and overthrow Celestia once again."

Lord Zedd growled under his breath as he felt the subliminal magic in the horseman's words activate. Silently shaking the feeble spell loose, he took in his first look at the feared Discord. The figure was standing on two legs and seemed to be steady. He was clad in armour that looked like it had come from Ancient Greece and had polished unicorn skulls as macabre shoulder pads. Zedd could see the horseman's primary weapon was a short staff or spear that was sheathed on his back and a short sword dangled from his hip.

Practically encasing its equine head was a bronze helmet that was studded with diamonds with small eye slots and a hole for his horn. He wasn't sure if Discord had wings, but he wouldn't be surprised if he had them. The most interesting feature of Discord's armour in Zedd's opinion was the hands. They were sheathed in gauntlets that seemed to be made from teeth and bone.

"Yes, we will overthrow Celestia and you will become my Royal Guard"

Zedd glanced at Tricksy and rolled his eyes. The mutating unicorn was being sucked into Discord's spiel and was almost grovelling at the humanoid unicorn's feet. Stepping forward, he raised his staff and swung it down on Tricksy's back – sending the pseudo-unicorn sprawling. He radiated red from within and his voice was molten steel.

"Get up, worm! You serve Lord Zedd and not this pathetic husk!"

Rounding on the confused and slightly freaked out Discord, Zedd pointed his staff at him and growled out his ultimatum.

"Join me or die here."

TBC…


	9. Submission

Pinkie Note: Hi readers, Pinkie Pie here again! I managed to enter as the author said he had to lie down after writing something that showcased how evil Zedd was…or something like that! My Little Pony is Hasbro's and Power Rangers is Saban's. Everything you don't recognise is the author's own IP…except Discord which comes from Toei up till the point where the wings come out. And this chapter and only this one is rated M for slight gore. Maybe not slight as he looked green, but he's used to gory stuff anyway.

Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Submission

Metal clashed with metal as Tricksy watched her Master duel Discord. The humanoid unicorn had chosen the short sword instead of the spear and was faring badly. She knew her master had the advantage as with the large Z on his staff, he was able to counter slashes more easily. Reclining against the shattered foundations of the prison, she lazily looked up at the sky. Judging by the position of the sun, the two warlords had been clashing for roughly three hours non-stop. Luckily the heat had faded as it was rapidly approaching dusk. Yawning behind a hoof, she watched the two fighters with disinterest.

"Join you? Why not join me? I can give you everything!"

Discord's mind whirled. He didn't know why this flesh man was immune to his words. Everypony in the past had fallen for him as soon as he opened his mouth and had followed him unquestioningly. He supposed that was why his original Cutie Mark had been an open mouth, but that had changed during his imprisonment. What it looked like now, he had no idea but he was willing to bet it was something to do with blood. Raising his sword up, he cried out in surprise as it was ripped out of his grip by the Z staff. The next thing he felt were chrome tipped fingers grasping his throat.

"Listen to me, you pathetic slug. I freed you from your imprisonment and I can erase you from existence. You will serve me or you will die where you stand!"

Discord would have laughed if he wasn't being strangled. He struggled to breathe, but the grip of his assailant was too strong. He only had one chance for freedom, but it would require split second timing.

Lord Zedd snarled through his grille and looked down at Discord. Frankly, the relic in his grasp was as dangerous to him as a cold would be to a human. He had to humour any potential warrior of course, but this one was wearing him thin. Suddenly, two wings popped out of Discord's back. Zedd's grip faltered for a second, but only one second was all it took for Discord to extricate himself from Zedd's grasp.

Cursing in the forgotten tongues of his homeworld, Lord Zedd looked up to see the humanoid alicorn laughing. His eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the shape of the wings. One was the normal birdlike wing, complete with feathers. The other looked like a skeletal dragon wing with a blood-red membrane. He laughed as Discord finally unsheathed his short spear, causing the alicorn to question why. The Dark Lord answered in a sly voice.

"You were harder to defeat with your sword. Now, I can just do…THIS!"

In one fluid movement, Zedd tossed his staff into the air, caught it above the spiked bottom and cleaved it down through the air faster than Discord could move. With an ear ringing clatter, Discord's spear shattered into three pieces. Recovering from the shock, Discord's eyes narrowed dangerously and he snorted under his helmet. Flapping both wings, he flew up to a great height and paused to survey the world around him in the quiet time of early evening.

Even from the great height, he could feel the intense heat radiating from the barren land beneath his hooves. Tasting the air currents, he could tell that the Dragon clans were still fighting amongst themselves and that Drakor's son Dryken was still on the 'throne'. Dryken was sitting on the throne until the first laid was mature enough to journey into their lands and take that strange artefact the rulers guarded. It was all horse manure anyway and no hatchlings could survive on Draconis without parental guidance. From the distant glow radiating from the north, he knew Equestria was still standing. It would be pristine and ripe for the pillaging and Celestia would be in shock when he reappeared. Her head would look good on his wall or as the centrepiece of his victory banquet.

Sparing a quick glance to the rising moon, his eyes widened in shock as the familiar shape of Nightmare Moon was missing from its cratered surface. What was more disturbing was that the four stars that had orbited the heavenly body had vanished. If he knew his Equestrian History, the missing stars would be causing a lot of trouble in the future. Or rather, what was imprisoned in those stars…

He would worry about that later – after he had disposed of this wannabe tyrant. Flapping his wings a few more times, he reached the apex of his flight and looked down. The red humanoid was still there, waving that oddly familiar staff around. The name had stuck in his mind for some reason as well…something about an evil from another plane coming and destroying all? It sounded like something out of a story or one of Celestia's prophecies that were about as prophetic as "The sun will rise tomorrow" or "The kitchen will explode as soon as I set hoof in it"

All right…maybe that last one had been his fault. He tucked in his wings and felt the pull of gravity instantaneously. Angling his body down, he quickly gained momentum all in preparation for a single killing blow. Shutting his eyes against the screaming winds, he didn't see the warlord do something very odd with his staff.

But he felt it.

Unimaginable pain flooded his senses as he crashed to the ground in a crumpled heap. As he struggled to get to his hooves, he noticed two things. One: his helmet was not on his head. In fact, it was laying at the Dark Lord's feet, complete with a large bulge at the bottom and a strange bloodstain around the hole for his horn. Two: his horn was not on his head. Reaching up to his head with a hand, he felt for where it should have been…only to feel nothing but a ragged hole studded with slivers of fused bone. Blood poured from the gaping wound and it was all Discord could do not to throw up.

"Well, it seems you have lost you magic. With the loss of you horn, you are unworthy of my time. However, you have other skills that are useful to me."

Discord weakly looked up through the curtain of dripping crimson and weakly tried to save himself. He could see his majestic horn that was gripped unceremoniously in a chrome tipped hand. He was about to pass out when a bright flare of light took the pain away as well as the curtain of blood splattered on his face. Feeling his energy and strength return to him, he slowly climbed to a kneeling position and heard the next words from the figure above him.

"You will serve me as my general and you will command my armies to crush the regime of Celestia."

Craning his head up, Discord saw his horn being tightly gripped – almost to breaking point – and he cried out in protest. Zedd smacked his head with the remains of his helmet and sneered.

"I will do what I want with my servants, including body parts of my servants. Disagree and I will end your life quickly. Agree and serve me so one day I may return a horn to you."

The humanoid former alicorn thought quickly. After a mere moment of hesitation, he slowly nodded once and practically spat out the next words.

"I serve you loyally, my Lord. I will do whatever you wish so that, one day, my horn will be returned."

Lord Zedd laughed uproariously as he magically jerked the winged humanoid to its feet and slowly sliced off the tip of the bloody horn, enjoying the pained look on Discord's face. Using ancient magic he telekinetically thrust the tip deep into Tricksy's body, enjoying the pained gasps from the twisted mass of mutating flesh. With the rest of the horn in one fist, he squeezed the appendage tighter – hearing it crack.

"You fool. I merely said I would return a horn to you."

Discord's eyes widened as his horn shattered in Zedd's grip and felt his stomach drop. He watched as the remnants ground against each other quickly to produce a fine-grained dust. He squeezed his eyes shut as he heard Zedd pull one of the tubes from his body and when he opened them again, the powdered horn was no longer within sight.

"I never said it would be your horn."

TBC…


	10. Dark Skies

Disclaimer: Power Rangers = Saban. My Little Pony = Hasbro. Anything that resembles any other bit of copyrighted or trademarked material = their respective owners. Anything you don't recognise that isn't trademarked or copyrighted = mine. Enjoy.

Chapter 10: Dark Skies

It had been three days since the initial battle and everypony was restless. The rebuilding of Ponyville was slow and strange rumours were flying around. One particular rumour was that when the creature had attacked, it had been driven off by another fiercer monster who had taken the lives of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Of course, the "Bearers of Harmony killed" part had been debunked over and over again – as the bearers in question had been seen helping the reconstruction – but the so-called second monster was harder to disprove.

"I saw it! It had a blue and white body with a silver nose and white claws! It zapped the fish away and turned to the bearers hungrily!"

Applebloom turned away from Snips and sighed to herself. She and her big sister had been in that group of ponies and knew both who the supposed monster was and how the battle had ultimately turned out. Unfortunately, she had been sworn to secrecy by both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. It wasn't all that bad though. School had been cancelled for the duration of the cleanup and rebuilding, so that left lots of time for the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Tensing up at the sound of magic, she looked down to her right front leg where a thin strip of metal was wrapped.

"Applebloom, watch out!"

At the yell, Applebloom instinctively jumped backwards and lightly reared up…just as a slightly charred pile of wood crashed in front of her. Falling onto her rump, she blinked in shock as a familiar purple head came into her field of vision.

"Twilight…what're you doin'? What's that?"

The unicorn blinked once and smiled sheepishly. Since the bestowing of the Ranger powers, her magic ability had grown exponentially. What would have once drained her of all her energy was almost second nature to her. She was even starting to learn magic from Billy's dimension via Dimitria – although it was limited to simple kinetic bolts and binding spells. Realising she had yet to answer the filly's question, she smiled again.

"This is one of the larger salvageable parts of the Treebrary. Unfortunately, most of the books were destroyed, but both Princesses are helping me rebuild."

Well, that was mostly true. Princess Celestia had allowed her back into Canterlot Library to see what books needed to be duplicated and Princess Luna had allowed her exclusive access into her own private collection. So far, she hadn't taken up Princess Luna's offer yet as she needed to rebuild the Treebrary to its former glory. She had also been surprised by Billy's offer to browse the small number of books he had brought over and she was fascinated by the titles. The only problems with those books were the pictures and diagrams that showed human silhouettes and figures; which would be somewhat difficult to explain to other ponies. Looking at Applebloom again, her brow furrowed.

"Where's Applejack?"

Applebloom rose to her feet and thought hard. She knew she had talked with Billy about something a day or so ago and was sticking real close to the human. Of course, that had been after Rarity had been teased after waking up in Billy's room and after said human had been grilled by Rarity for sneaking off in the night. Sometimes it all went over her head, but she knew she'd get it when she was older. She hoped anyway.

"She's up in Canterlot Crags wit' Billy 'nd Fluttershy doin' some work for the base."

Quickly looking around them to see if anyone was listening, Twilight pulled Applebloom towards her and spoke in an urgent and hushed tone.

"Applebloom, remember to keep your voice down in Ponyville. We're not ready to be revealed yet."

As Applebloom nodded once before scampering off to find the other Crusaders, Twilight thought about what the young filly had told her. Applejack was at Canterlot Crags with Fluttershy and Billy? She wondered what they were doing, but dismissed it. The human was always working on something or another to increase security and surveillance. If he was there, everything would work out for the best.

Canterlot Crags

The crags below Canterlot are not places ponies should be. The winds whip up at excesses of 80 km/ph and there are not many flat places. Despite all this, Billy measured out the outline for the door and nodded to the orange Earth pony standing nearby. With the wind whipping her blonde mane about, she lowered her head and charged at the rocky wall. With split second timing honed by years of applebucking, she turned on a dime and slammed her hind legs into the rock, making the ground quake a small amount.

Squinting at the damage done to the wall, Billy consulted his blueprints and shook his head with a sigh. He leant over the edge of the path and yelled over the howling wind.

"Fluttershy, it's safe! You can tell them to help you up!"

To the sound of heavy wings, Fluttershy appeared on the back of two griffons that had been nesting below the working area. As they alighted on the stone, the yellow Pegasus pony jumped off and stammered out thanks. The larger male griffon bent his head down and looked the pony in the eye.

"You don't have to thank us. We are proud to help one of the Bearers of Harmony."

As the two griffons took flight, Billy mused over the blueprints once more. The Ranger powers had strengthened the ponies' natural abilities tenfold and had elevated their stamina to levels on par with Earthbound Rangers. He had seen Twilight Sparkle and Rarity study magic with Dimitria and Princess Celestia as well as poking his head in on Pinkie Pie as she tried to break Equestria's Land Speed record…not to mention the shakes that always seemed to happed whenever Applejack tested out her kicks unmorphed. The only ponies that seemed to have no obvious enhancements were the pegasi. Sure, they were as strong as the others but their speeds seemed the same. He'd have to check Rainbow Dash again and have that talk with her…but if it went in the same direction as Applejack's…

"B-Billy? I don't mean to rush you, b-but what do we do now?"

Fluttershy's voice broke him out of his thoughts and he sighed. He would have to break out the rock cutting tools at night and pray the wind masked the crunching sound. If that didn't work, there was always his backup plan…but he needed a spotter for that to have any chance of keeping their cover.

"Sorry girls, looks like we won't be getting much done today. You'd better go back to Ponyville to help with the cleanup."

Applejack reclaimed her Stetson from Fluttershy and nodded once. She had wanted to spend some time with the human and finish their talk, but he seemed to become a mite uncomfortable with the topics raised. She didn't want to push him but at the same time, she desperately wanted his opinion…when he had digested the information, he would talk to her. Huddling around the human, she nodded once.

Nodding back, Billy tucked the blueprints under his arm and raised his left wrist. Tugging back the sleeve, he made sure the Rangers were close by and pressed a button on the side of his communicator and they vanished in three coloured streams of light.

Once they rematerialised in the Command Tower, they saw Princess Celestia standing with an anxious look on her muzzle. Billy felt his stomach drop as he remembered seeing that look all those months ago when the Princess was informing him of…but he couldn't be free. Noting the silent question on his face, Celestia nodded grimly and spoke the words Billy had been dreading since learning of the subject.

"Discord is free."

TBC…


	11. Long, Long Ago

Disclaimer: Still don't own 95% of what you read. Remaining 5% is mine. Enjoy!

Edit: Woo! My new 4th longest story! And has more hits than the "original" Rangers of the Elements…which has nothing to do with Rangers of Equestria.

Chapter 11: Long, Long Ago…

Applejack looked to the Princess quizzically. Discord being free seemed like a bad thing, but who was Discord and why were the Princess and Billy acting so strangely? She was about to ask the question, when Billy raced to one of the consoles, pressed a button and spoke aloud.

"Rangers, teleport to the Command Tower. This is an emergency."

Fluttershy heard the graveness in Billy's voice and gulped nervously. As an extremely non-violent Pegasus, she was the most apprehensive about the whole "Power Ranger" business. The first battle had been all right as she had been working off the collective excitement but now…now it just seemed like everything was crashing on them at once.

Four beams of light entered the Command Tower and coalesced into the remaining Rangers. Billy cast a critical eye over them and checked them for signs of…well, to be honest he wasn't really sure what. Everything seemed to check out and he nodded once to the Princess, a sign for her to start explaining.

"Thank you all for coming here everypony. The day I have feared gravely has come to pass. An ancient evil known as Discord has broken free from his prison."

Twilight looked from Celestia to Billy. Both had extremely grave and serious expressions and the Princess seemed to be…scared? In a curious voice, she asked who Discord was. Blinking once, Princess Celestia trotted over to one of the covered windows, inhaled deeply and drew back the curtains that shrouded it from view. The image that was forever preserved left all the Rangers stunned speechless.

A black alicorn was rearing up on its hind legs with both wings splayed wide and wreathed in flames. Around it were images of terrifying chaos and horrendous violence. The ground under the hooves of the alicorn seemed to be splattered with blood. On the edges of the image were more flames and hints of lightning. Princess Celestia inhaled deeply as she saw the image once more and began speaking.

"No one knows how Discord came to be. Most historical texts regard him as a unicorn that possessed the ability to control the minds of others with one word. Somewhere along the line, he gained wings and much more. He rose up against me right after I had banished Nightmare Moon but I defeated him then. He waited and gathered his strength for one hundred years, somehow amassing enough energy to extend his lifespan indefinitely…and gaining the ability to walk on his hind legs."

Billy nodded absentmindedly as he processed the information. He knew the Princess had omitted the first uprising during her tale, but that was neither here nor there. If Discord was free, then there was only one guess as to who had freed him – Zedd. There was no doubt in his mind that Zedd had freed Discord to swell his ranks. Edward Steel had informed him before he left that Zedd's power was dependant on his followers and the size of his army. There was also some dependence on the power that the general possessed…which answered his question of why he spiralled downward after accepting Goldar into his Empire. As he processed the information, he kept listening to Celestia's information.

"One hundred years to the day that I had defeated him, he attacked Canterlot with his army. The battle was fierce and raged on for many days. I only had enough time to gather up the Elements of Harmony and escape into the Everfree Forest. Discord won and positioned himself as Head of the Body of Equestria."

Fluttershy chuckled nervously but squashed her growing fear. Discord sounded much worse than Nightmare Moon. To overthrow Princess Celestia was one thing, but to send her fleeing Canterlot in fear was another thing altogether. Silently, she crept behind Applejack and hid behind her, while listening for information.

"Discord ruled all of Equestria for six months. During that time, he saw all with his Eyes of Discord which were highly valued members of his inner circle known for their loyalty and trustworthiness. To many ponies born under his chaotic rule, he was known as the Sanity Devourer as it was said that he devoured sanity from every pony he touched. Indeed, many ponies killed themselves soon after he left Canterlot."

Twilight Sparkle blinked and shook her head in astonishment. An alicorn that had the power to seemingly drink sanity from ponies seemed like something from fiction, but judging from the grave expression on her mentor's face, it was anything but. She was about to ask why six months were enough for Discord to cement himself as Supreme Leader, but Princess Celestia's words let the question die unasked.

"Discord had another strange ability besides his silver tongue. He had the ability to slow time down all over Equestria…except in the Everfree Forest. No one knows why the Everfree Forest was exempt, but I'm glad it was. Most fortuitously, it seems that ability was stripped from him during his imprisonment. The question is – who freed him? He couldn't have broken out on his own?"

"Zedd."

Billy's sharp voice made all heads turn to him. Even if Zedd had made landfall a few days ago, he would be strong enough to break someone out of an impenetrable stone prison. Doing that would be mere child's play to one as powerful as him. Sensing that the Princess was waiting for more explanation, he sighed internally.

"When he first arrived on Earth, Lord Zedd wasted no time in displaying his massive power by way of stripping the Morphin energy from our Dinozords and casting them into a pit of magma. Later, he created a monster to completely drain the powers of the Green Ranger. He left Earth after the Machine Empire arrived, but he continued his destruction in other places. He has boundless raw magical energy at his disposal and should not be confronted until you are ready."

From her position behind Applejack's rump, Fluttershy squeaked nervously. She didn't know what Dinozords or the Machine Empire, but she did know how powerful being morphed felt. If this Zedd could create a monster to drain ones powers…she started shaking nervously. Taking a quick glance behind her, Applejack sighed and rolled her eyes at the nervous Pegasus. As Billy continued, she shared a glance with Rainbow Dash before returning her attention to the human.

"The only Ranger to ever face off against Zedd and come away somewhat victoriously was our White Ranger – Tommy Oliver. He used his enchanted blade to break Zedd's staff, but he was extremely lucky. I would not go up against Zedd himself unless I had no other choice."

Location Unknown

"Discord, it is time for you to make yourself known. Revisit your old stomping grounds in Canterlot and leave no one alive."

Discord grimaced but bowed at his master's voice. He rubbed a hand over the sealed hole where his horn was and growled. He would do as the flesh man commanded for now. Striding off, he felt a tingle of energy enter his body and he paused. Squinting in the dim light, he could almost see his body…growing? With another few steps, he was free of the cave but had grown as tall as the canopy overhead. Glancing back at his master, he saw the dark Lord was glowing darkly. One final burst of power and he was almost as tall as Canterlot Tower. A murderous grin wormed its way across Discord's face as he spied Canterlot in the distance.

This was going to be fun…

TBC…


	12. Fearing Evil

Pinkie Pie: Hey all! It's getting exciting isn't it! I know it is, but the author has more planned and the copyrighted stuff isn't his but he wants it to be but its better that it isn't cause it would boost his cashflow by a lot and he'd not know what to do with it…and that would be a bad thing. Enjoy everypony…while I attempt to stop the author from banging his head more.

MM: And with this chapter, Rangers of Equestria becomes my 3rd longest story! No party Pinkie...

Pinkie: Aww...

Chapter 12: Fearing Evil

Zedd growled under his breath as he massaged his brain with his hoof-like hand. Discord was too dramatic. Instead of flying toward Canterlot, he was slowly walking there without a care in the world. Groaning under his breath, he pointed his staff in the direction of the mountain city and mumbled another incantation. Six white spheres of energy burst from the Z and flew towards Canterlot.

Grinning as much as he could, Zedd focused his vision on Canterlot and chuckled. Let the Blue Ranger come with his pathetic wannabe Rangers. They would fall easily and he would have the world in the palm of his hand.

Canterlot Tower

No sooner had the words left Billy's lips, an alarm sounded from one of the consoles. Eyes widening, Billy rushed to the main viewscreen followed by the ponies and the Princess. Fingers flying on the keys, he tracked the disturbance and pinpointed it on the main screen. As the image slowly appeared, he turned to address the Rangers.

"This is it, guys. Zedd has made the first formal move. He's sent out a group of foot soldiers and they are terrorizing the citizens. I'm also getting readings of a large object heading this way from the Everfree Forest, but I'll keep an eye on that."

As the image cleared, all eyes snapped to it. On the screen, six grey centaurs with red eyes could be seen attacking. Ponies everywhere scattered as the lead centaur breathed fire from its maw – severely scorching three Royal Guards. As their bodies fell, the centaurs trampled on them and flexed their arms. Billy swallowed hard and scanned them for any sign of weakness. Seeing no obvious ones, he grimaced. Apparently Zedd had learned from the Z Putties and had been paying attention to the later grunts that had sprung up. He turned to the Rangers.

"Right now, you need to do your duty as Power Rangers and protect the people. If things get out of hand, I will come out and fight."

Twilight swallowed nervously as she nodded. After no battles for the three days, she feared she had become complacent…which was utter nonsense. She just had to trust her own instincts so as to not force Billy to use his own energy. Closing her eyes once, she willed her Morpher to her. In a muted purple flash, the crown…thingy…tiara appeared on her head. Muted flashed of colour around her informed her that the others had summoned their Morpher necklaces as well – even Fluttershy. Making a mental note to keep a close eye on the timid Pegasus, she inhaled deeply.

"It's Morphin Time!"

"Magic!"

"Generosity!"

"Laughter!"

"Loyalty!"

"K-Kindness!"

"Honesty!"

In six flashes of light coupled with swirls of magic, the six Rangers morphed and teleported to meet their new enemies. As Billy watched them go, Princess Celestia walked up and gave him a significant look. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his damaged Morpher. Letting out a sigh of her own, the Princess dipped her head and lightly touched the coin's surface with her horn. In a blue and white flash, the Morpher was repaired and was practically glowing with energy. Dimitria watched the exchange and cleared her throat lightly.

"Is it wise to do this, Billy? Can you not be able to help them another way?"

Billy turned to the Inquiran and shook his head once. He looked at the image on the screen just as the Yellow Ranger was hit hard by one of Zedd's centaurs. Looking down at his temporarily charged Morpher, he sighed again.

"I need to do this to make her see how dangerous Zedd really is. If there was any other way I could do it without endangering myself, I would do it in a heartbeat…"

He let the words trail off as he saw the Pegasus weakly firing her blaster at the centaur with no effect. He had seen how scared Fluttershy was during the briefing, but had chosen to say nothing in thinking the Pegasus would be able to get past her shyness and timidness when the time came…but it seemed like he was wrong. He knew that she shoved away her timidness when her friends were hurt or threatened. She was a strong pony and her friends knew that. He only hoped she regarded him as a friend or else he would be risking his life. Silently, he lifted his Morpher up and inhaled shakily.

It was now or never.

Canterlot

As the six Rangers teleported in, everypony stopped running and screaming and just stared at the new arrivals. Like the citizens of Ponyville, they had heard of the creature that decimated the town and also of the strange other that had driven the first away. Unlike the ponies in Ponyville, they had heard another rumour of six brightly coloured ponies that had appeared shortly and had either, depending on the rumour, destroyed all witnesses or had destroyed the monster when it came back.

Fortunately, the majority of the citizens chose to believe the latter. In a matter of minutes, there were no ponies in sight except the Rangers and the creatures sent by Zedd. Twilight noted that with six of them, they would each have to take one on. That meant she wouldn't have time to battle with her opponent _and_ look after Fluttershy. Lowering her head, she spoke softly into her helmet mic.

"Girls, we have to face one each. Fluttershy, do your best but if you get into trouble, one of us will help you."

Fluttershy nervously squeaked a response as she stared at the centaur in front of her. On the screen it had seemed menacing. In real life it was bed-wettingly terrifying. Its body seemed to be a solid mass of hardened muscle and its coat was a mottled grey. There were no identifying marks on it of any kind and its face was an expressionless mask. On the top of its head, she thought she could see some sort or marking, but she dismissed the thought as a trick of the light. She shakily stood her ground as the others leapt forward to meet their attackers head on.

A dark shadow covered her and she looked up to see the centaur towering over her. Squeaking in fear, she jumped back and wildly lashed out with her front hooves. The wild blow connected with its chest, sending it stumbling back. Fluttershy's eyes teared up and she started backing away, away from the creature, away from her friends who were battling for their lives…away from this horrid mess. As she backed away, she didn't notice that her Element Blaster was randomly firing bolts of magic at the centaur or that she was backing into a corner.

The centaur kept advancing on the frightened Yellow Ranger. The only thoughts that ran through its magically created mind revolved around death and destruction. Wanting to squeeze its hands until the bones pierced the skin. The only way it could be stopped was if its weakness was discovered and struck with great force. Even if it failed, the Master would make more and they would crush all opposition. As it neared the stricken Pegasus, it raised a massive fist back – ready to send the Ranger to the next world.

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut…but snapped them open at the sound of teleportation and the sound of flesh striking flesh. Standing in between the centaur and her was the lean form of Billy. All around them, the other Rangers had temporarily paused their battles at the arrival of the Blue Ranger. Fluttershy swallowed nervously and looked up at the human through her helmet. She knew he was risking his life to help her, but he was unmorphed and if he was unmorphed he wouldn't get hurt from morphing. Then again, he would have little to no protection against the centaur's six limbs. In a flurry of movement, the centaur was lying on the ground and Billy had his Morpher on one hand.

"Blue Ranger Power!"

At Billy's shout, all eyes turned to him as a dazzling light covered his body. A distant howl of a wolf was heard and when the light faded, Billy was morphed. With a simple flick of the wrist, she watched the Blue Ranger summon his Power Lance and patiently wait for the centaur to stand up. Sparks fell from her body as she demorphed. She could see him wield the weapon as confidently as he had done before as he thrust out one end to strike its right shoulder.

Inside his Power Suit, Billy was sweating hard. Flash morphing and summoning his Power Lance had almost used up the temporary charge Celestia had given his morpher. He glanced at the power indicator and bit back a curse. On one hand, his "defeat" would look spectacular with the flying sparks and arcing bolts. On the other it would hurt much more. Withdrawing his Power Lance from the "Z Centaur", he twirled it above his head and swung it flat side down. If he was going to go down, he may as well test a theory out as well.

"Billy! No!"

The Rangers and creatures watched as the Blue Ranger's Power Lance connected with the top of the centaur's head…just as it landed a crushing blow to Billy's Morpher. In a burst of blue sparks, his morph shattered violently and Billy crumpled to the ground. His Power Morpher fell into view and he viewed the damage, squeezing his eyes in frustration.

His Power Coin was destroyed.

He felt the power leave him as his feeble connection to his home dimension's Morphin Grid faded into nothingness. He could still feel his Wolf spirit inside him, so he knew he could still go into Ninjetti , but without a Power Coin to act as a conductor…he would never morph again. Fighting the crushing wave of sadness and despair that threatened to overcome him, he looked up to see what his last attack as a Power Ranger did. The centaur was still standing, but it was shaking violently. He let an exhausted grin creep over his face as he saw it fall and break apart with the sound of shattering clay. Rolling onto his side with a wince, he nodded to Twilight and slumped onto his back as he heard the battle resume.

Feeling a damp nose against his cheek, he turned around and saw Fluttershy staring at him with a mix of horror and sadness on her face. He smiled wider and lifted a hand up to stroke her muzzle, causing the yellow Pegasus to nuzzle into his warm palm. His voice was weak but held a note of steel in it.

"Go. Your friends…need you to be strong."

Fluttershy nodded once, her gaze hardening as she looked up to the remaining Z Centaurs. She knew she had to be strong every time she went into battle, as her reluctance and non-violent stance could cause somepony to get hurt…or even die. She wasn't the strongest fighter or flier, but she had to do what she could.

For her friends.

She quietly summoned her Element Morpher again and inhaled deeply. Timidness or not, her friends needed her.

"Kindness!"

The loud shout made everypony pause and look at Fluttershy. Her Element Crystal was pulsing out streams of pink tinged yellow energy that seemed to surround her. Around the tenth pulse, her body was covered in the energy and she flared her wings out. With a crack of lightning her armour appeared on her body, leaving her head exposed. As the winds created by her morph whipped her mane about, she saw Billy tiredly wink once at her before he vanished in a shower of white sparkles.

A swarm of butterflies made of energy enveloped her head and mane before exploding out as her helmet formed. As the power from the Yellow Zeo Crystal entered her body, she felt a small tremor under her feet. The map on her visor told her that something large was steadily moving closer…and it matched the readings from earlier. Launching herself upward and pausing only to catch and throw back Applejack, she flew up above the battle site and felt her eyes bug out.

In the distance was a towering humanoid pony clad in strange barding. Its head was hidden behind a strangely dented helmet with a red ring around a gaping hole. In one fist, it clenched a short sword that seemed to radiate darkness. As she steadied her breathing, the creature spoke in a smooth voice that reminded her of fresh dripping honey.

"Celestia, I have returned from my prison. You took away my freedom and now I will take away your life!"

TBC…

Pinkie: Now we party!

MM: *facehoof*


	13. Zord

Disclaimer: MLP and PR are not mine. _Italics_ mean thoughts or telepathic communications and words [like this] are words on a screen. Author's Note is at the bottom for those playing at home. Enjoy…and please remember this is an AU…

Chapter 13: Zord

Billy collapsed on the floor of the Command Tower as he painfully looked on the remains of his Morpher. The outer shell still looked as it had before but the rim around the centre was ringed with fresh scorch marks. The Coin was gone from this plane of existence already. What little power remained in it would be dividing itself amongst the other Ninjetti. As he faintly heard Celestia's exclamation of shock at his appearance, he morbidly wished that they thought him dead. Seeing as how he was unlikely to return, it would be for the best. He only hoped Zedd didn't amass enough power to break through the dimensional barrier…but he was unlikely to do so.

As he weakly rose to his feet, he tapped a few buttons on the console in front of him. Thankfully his emergency teleporter had recalled him before the calibrations were complete. Struggling to stay conscious, he scanned the readout on the screen and tweaked a few settings. As he feverishly worked, he mumbled to himself.

"Check power output…cannon is stable. Transformation circuits all seem to check out. All armaments loaded and ready. Motion control calibrated for her weight and wing flutter. Connecting modules in place and fully functioning…"

"Celestia, I have returned from my prison. You took away my freedom and now I will take away your life!"

Billy jumped up startled and grabbed his head in pain as the soundwaves reverberated through his skull. Celestia jerked her head up and swallowed hard. She had not heard that voice in hundreds of years but she still remembered it in her nightmares. In a burst of darkness, Princess Luna appeared in the Command Tower, having teleported herself from her personal chambers.

"Sister, what is that voice? Who is that?"

Without waiting for the regal alicorn's response, Billy weakly slapped the same button as before and spoke to the Rangers.

"Rangers, the creature in front of you is Discord. Who is free to engage him?"

Various grunts of negation came back intertwined with the sound of laser blasts, hoofstomps and shattering Z Centaurs. After a short pause, a quiet but determined voice was heard.

"I'll go."

Billy nodded once over the shouted protests of the others amidst the explosions and blasts. Once a Ranger had made up his or her mind, there would be no stopping them until they had their fill. Raising himself up on his arms, he tapped a string of commands into the console and brought up a progress report that pleased him. He opened his mouth to speak when a wave of dizziness sent him collapsing to the floor in a heap. He was barely aware of the Princess calling for her sister and galloping to his side. He feebly waved them away and raised himself to his knees. He had to send Fluttershy her weapon.

"Fluttershy, I have just connected your Powers to the Kindness Harmony Zord. When you wish to summon it, raise your hand…er, hoof into the air and shout 'I need Harmonyzord Power now!'. The controls are based off your own movements to make it as smooth as possible. Go now and may the Power protect you…"

With the final syllable dying on his lips, Billy crashed to the ground once more unconscious from the violent destruction of his Power coin.

Canterlot Courtyard

Fluttershy gulped nervously as Discord came closer. She knew she was the only one who had to drive Discord off, but she was deathly afraid both of fighting and of doing nothing. Seeing Billy place himself in danger had reminded her that she needed to be strong in times of doubt and fear. Shaking slightly, she tried to push all of her fear and timidness to one side.

It didn't work, but she had to press on. She raised her front right hoof into the air and shouted as triumphantly as she could.

"I n-need H-Harmonyzord P-Power, Now!"

Unfortunately, her nervousness had caught up with her voice and all that came out of her mouth was a jumbled squeak. Growling at herself, she shook her head once to clear all the unneeded emotions from her mind and tried again.

"I need Harmonyzord Power NOW!"

In a bright yellow flash, the Kindness Harmony Zord materialised in the bright skies above Canterlot. Fluttershy blinked once as her gaze fell on it. Either by chance or by deliberate design, the Zord looked exactly like her – right down to the trio of butterflies on the flanks and the Element Crystal around her neck. Gasps and cries of surprise came from the remaining Rangers who had just finished off the final Centaur.

"So much fer keeping our identity secret…"

As soon as she heard Applejack's words, Fluttershy leapt into action. Propelling herself upward, she felt herself being drawn into the line-of-sight teleporter that she suddenly knew about. In truth, the sudden information overload was making her brain hurt but she relaxed her mind and let it all flow in and out smoothly. When the sparks faded from her vision, she looked around the cockpit for the first time.

She was standing on an oval platform which was surrounded on all sides by odd cubes affixed to long poles. It was somewhat reminiscent of a cage, but allowed much greater manoeuvrability and a tighter turning circle. Directly in front of her was a large viewing screen that stretched from floor to ceiling and, based on the information currently flowing on her visor in tandem with in her brain, was providing real-time intelligence on the enemy in front of her as well as battle strategy and weapon choices. Gritting her teeth, she moved to fly forwards and was taken off guard at the responsiveness of the system. Shaking her head lightly, she righted herself again and charged.

Discord blinked once he saw the machine appear. It seemed pony technology had advanced to the point where they would be a challenge for him in his giant form. He snapped off his dimensional link and smiled widely; exposing his brown teeth. He opened his arms wide and waited for the first attack from the new challenger. After a few false starts, the yellow Pegasus shaped construct raced at him with both front hooves outstretched. He had just enough time to draw his xiphos from his belt before it did something strange. Both hooves split down the middle and separated, revealing an empty space. Puzzled, he lowered his short sword and scratched the side of his head.

_You idiot! They are attacking you with a zord! Defend yourself!_

Wincing at his Lord's mental message, he looked up just in time to be hit with a volley of hard light blasts from the robotic pegasus' hooves. Staggering back he lifted his short sword and thrust it at the construct. Instead of connecting with metal, the blade shot out a burst of red energy from the tip. As the construct deftly avoided the wide shot, Discord stared at his xiphos in shock. He knew it was an ordinary short sword that had been specially forged for him by the traitor Shining Light, but it had never shown any inherent magical properties until now. Briefly, he wondered if his Lord had something to do with it, but dismissed the thought. Whether or not it was the case, he would do his Master's bidding…until his back was exposed.

In her Zord, Fluttershy was still trying to work out what combination of actions did what. Billy was presumably out of commission or resting and the others had finally managed to destroy the last Z Centaur, but hadn't been hooked up to their zords yet. Still, she had to do whatever it took for Discord to leave. Whipping her head up high, she accidentally selected one of the weapon options she was hoping to leave for last.

[Activate Element Megabuster]

Behind her helmet, Fluttershy cringed weakly. The Megabuster sounded like it would do a lot of damage if it missed and the only thing around was the Everfree Forest. On the screen appeared something she had recently seen – the image of the circle and cross that Billy had said were called 'crosshairs'. Slowly and meticulously, she moved them over Discord's image and nodded once.

[Megabuster Locked On]

"M-Megabuster, Fire!"

From the centre of the enlarged Element Crystal pulsed a pale yellow light. Discord had only enough time to squint in confusion before a large stream of bright yellow energy impacted violently against his chest plate. He screamed out in pain as the metal superheated rapidly and all but seared his chest. As the energy stream faded he dropped to one knee, his body heaving with pain. He didn't have to look down to see that his armour had barely survived intact and had pretty much fused into his chest. Raising himself to his feet once more, he flicked his tail in annoyance and snorted.

He nodded once at the machine as a show of false respect before turning around and walking away. After all, the seeds had been planted by him with instruction from his Master. As he reached the boundary of the Everfree Forest, he called out over his shoulder before vanishing into the leafy depths.

"You win this round, Celestia. Make no mistake; though my master wants to destroy you, I will be the one to utterly break you."

TBC…

Author's Note: Last few chapters had Day of the Dumpster references. This one references High Five, especially the battle with the Giant at the end. As Discord is a lot stronger than an average monster, he survived the finisher. And before I get a host of PMs saying that everything is out of canon, this is an AU (Alternate Universe) of both dimensions.

Read and Review!


	14. Mending and Creation

Disclaimer: My Little Pony isn't mine. Power Rangers and the Eternal Falls are not mine. Everything you don't recognise is mine. Pinkie is not mine, but she's hovering around me and waiting to be put back into the story.

Enjoy!

Chapter 14: Mending and Creation

The soft sound of beeping filled the air as the Rangers watched their friend float in the tank. After Fluttershy had driven Discord away, they had teleported back to the Command Tower to see Dimitria submerging Billy in a pool of water. The Inquiran has informed them that this water was from somewhere called 'The Eternal Falls' and it would allow him to recover much quicker. Although Twilight had been leery of the strange water, it had seemed to do the trick as his vitals were steadily improving. They had also learnt that his Power Coin had been destroyed and he was not a Power Ranger any more. The last fact saddened most of them as it meant that they would truly be alone on the battlefield, except Applejack – who had learned that Billy had more than enough brains for everypony.

Princess Celestia looked over her Rangers as they watched their friend steadily heal in the tank. She was very much grateful that Dimitria had said that he could go into the tank fully clothed. Friend or not, there were just some things a Princess was not fully ready to see yet. The destruction of Billy's Power Coin was something she was expecting, but not so soon. If Billy had been a 'backup' fighter, the odds of something like this happening down the line would have increased with each battle. The raw magic charges she and her sister had done to sustain the morphing energies had already sped up the deterioration of the Power Coin and she had posited that it would break on its own in three more battles.

Billy would prove his worth to them in other ways other than his fighting prowess – a fact cemented by the unveiling of the Harmony Zords. This increase of their arsenal would give them an added advantage against Lord Zedd and Discord, especially when she looked over the blueprints once more. In all actuality, she had to hoof it to Billy for making the Zords exact replicas of the Elements of Harmony when the only access he had to them was when she had sent the six to remove the dragon on top of the temporary outpost.

Flashback

_Princess Celestia's eyes lit up as she read the letter of Twilight Sparkle and she shared a look of delight with her sister. It seemed that Fluttershy had shown her true colours in driving away the dragon, but only when her friends were hurt. The normally timid pegasus had reverted back to her usual state soon after, but it was reassuring to know Twilight's friends had hidden depths._

"_You could have waited another few days. Then I could have tried doing the same to my morpher. Seven Rangers is a hell of a lot better than six these days."_

_Rolling up the parchment, she sighed and turned to see Billy walking out from behind a marble column. From the oil and grease on his hands, it was obvious he had just come from the mechanics facility or the 'Zord Bay'. What a Zord was, Billy had yet to tell either of them, but he had promised that they would be crucial in the long term. Snorting in an exaggerated manner, she replied with an air of mock regality._

"_Yes, Billy, I should have sent them later. Even though the dragon was casting Ponyville with a blanket of choking smoke and was blocking out the sun. The sun that is required to grow all food and that which sustains all life. The very sun that I raise each and every morning and that I…"_

"_All right, I get it. Those six are…quite something. I was only able to get a few images of them for reference."_

_Luna raised an eyebrow at the mention of the images. She knew that he was having some degree of difficulty in finding the proper shapes for the future Zords as well as making them fit and form together in various configurations. She had to admit, some of his designs were downright bizarre – ranging from ancient creatures to animals from his dimension…he had even toyed with creating zords based on their Cutie Marks but had thankfully abandoned that train of thought._

"_Billy, would thoust please tell us your intent of the capture of these images?"_

_Billy rolled his eyes. _

"_Luna, you've been reading those Shakespeare plays again, haven't you?"_

_The Princess of the Night had to put a hoof to her muzzle to attempt to stifle the giggles that came out. Restraining the urge to roll her eyes, Celestia shook her head lightly but motioned with her hoof for him to continue._

"_Anyway, I will be designing the Zords based on their appearances. Two land based, two aerial and two long range Zords should be enough for all situations. I have an idea for what to do with the Megazord, but I will have to do some more designing."_

_Celestia nodded and then motioned to her sister. As Luna had been spending the majority of the time with the young human, she would know better than her what these terms meant. However, the response she heard next was not one she was expecting._

"_How close will the similarities be? You said that the identities will eventually be known, but will the Zords be complete carbon copies of the Rangers or will they retain some form of identity protection?"_

"_At the moment, I will be incorporating some advanced Eltarean magic into their shells. Only those who know they are Rangers will see the resemblance. To everybody else, it will look like generic body shapes."_

"_And the Megazord? This will be a gestalt of the six individual zords, correct?"_

_Celestia settled back down on her throne and flicked an ear in annoyance. She knew she had to know about the inner workings and mechanics of the Rangers, but all the talk was more boring than her courts. Suddenly, her ears perked up at Billy's next words. _

"_In conclusion, I believe we will have six individual zords, three 'warriorzord combinations' and one Megazord with six individual modes. That should be plenty."_

_Celestia did the math in her head and frowned lightly. Fifteen options sounded like a lot and she wondered if they really needed all those options. Shrugging to herself, she settled down once more._

_Time would tell…_

_End Flashback_

Seeing what damage just one Zord could do strengthened her resolve to see this problem addressed. Fifteen options would mean a lot of on-the-fly strategy changing and she didn't know if her prized student was up to that degree of challenge. She supposed her friends would continue to help her learn and grow. Of course, Billy would be there as well as Dimitria and they would ensure that the Rangers kept some degree of their innocence about them.

As her sister stepped next to her, her thoughts drifted to the reappearance of Discord. The humanoid creature that she had seen had changed during his imprisonment and seemed to not be as content with manipulating words with his alicorn magic. The loss of his horn probably was the cause of it, but as far as she knew there wasn't any force on Equestria capable of cleanly snapping one's horn off. As another thought came to her, she had to swallow hard to keep the bile rising in her throat. She wouldn't entertain that thought a minute longer than she had to…even for her enemy, it seemed like a barbaric thing to have done.

Banishing those thoughts from her mind, she looked at her Rangers again. They were weary, but not beaten down yet. A smile began to form on her lips as she saw a most promising sight.

Billy was fully healed.

TBC…


	15. Dark Wings

Disclaimer: By now, you should know who belongs to who. Pinkie is the main character 'cause she wouldn't stop poking me.

Enjoy!

Chapter 15: Dark Wings

Pinkie Pie hummed happily to herself as she bounced down the Main Street of Ponyville. Everything was being built up stronger and more fortified, thanks to the Princess sending down her best architects and builders. Gummy was nestled safely in her mane and the sun was shining. It was a great, spectacular and awesome day and it was a good thing the dispute with Ponyville's Pegasus chariots was over so the builders could go home.

The pink pony paused precariously in her prance and puzzled over the problem of Ponyville's powered protectors. Well, it wasn't so much of a puzzle as she was the Pink Ranger, but she had to be puzzled to keep up appearances and pick up the rumours floating around the pony populace. She knew that the griffons were migrating from Draconis for their annual pilgrimage to their mating grounds and that there had been one griffon that had been cast from the main group. According to her sources, the griffon was seen orbiting one mountain in the Everfree Forest, as if it were guarding it from intruders.

She chewed on her lower lip as she thought about the griffons. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen many griffons around Ponyville since the incident with Gilda a while ago. The last one she had seen who _wasn't_ Gilda had been from Gilda's family group with an official Letter of Apology to herself, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

She shook her head to expel those thought from her mind and thought about the days that had passed since the debut of the Zord. Billy had connected all of them to their Zords and had explained the basic functions to them including the combinations that could be done. She had never ever seen Rainbow Dash and Applejack turn those colours before but everything seemed to be fine. Plus, it confirmed something that she had noticed a while ago. And then Billy had shown them his backup form – something that had to do with an animal that lived inside your spirit or something. Whatever it was, the explanation had upset Fluttershy until Billy explained that the animal wasn't alive, but was a manifestation of Morphin Energy.

That had gone over her head, but everypony else seemed to understand.

He had also said the powers would change, grow and evolve over time and adapt to their own fighting styles. Twilight, Applejack and Rarity had stayed behind to learn more about the Morphin Grid and what the Zords could do. From what she had heard, the only pony who could keep up with the technobabble was Twilight.

All in all, it had been a pretty quiet couple of days until early in the morning, when her Pinkie Sense had gone off. Three knee tremblers, an eye cross and a flutter in her nether regions had sent her on high alert. She couldn't remember when she had such a strong combo before – even the doozy a while back hadn't been so powerful in its intensity. She just wished it would happen soon as it would lessen everypony's nerves around her.

Location Unknown

"Go to Ponyville with a squad of Centaurs. Bring Gryffon with you."

"Understood, master."

Ponyville

Pinkie Pie blinked. For a moment, she felt as if the focus had cut away from her and had gone somewhere else. Her ears picked up on the faint sounds of wings in the distance and she unconsciously summoned her Element Morpher to her, not noticing everypony suddenly bowing in reverence. Her eyes scanned the skies nervously as her Pinkie Sense went off again, sending the ponies around her galloping for cover. In the span of a few seconds, the Main Street was empty of all ponies except Pinkie. Allowing Gummy to jump into a nearby barrel, the pink Earth pony stood her ground and waited warily. She had a feeling she didn't have to wait long.

In a violent updraft of wind coupled with a bight flash, two creatures appeared in front of her. One was most definitely a monster and she looked at it first. It looked like a griffon that had been buried underground for at least a hundred years. Patches of skin and muscle were sheared off to expose the white bone that gleamed in the morning sun. The claws were broken and chipped and some of the sockets were leaking dust. The most striking feature of the monster was its eyes – or its lack thereof. Tiny pinpricks of red in sunken and hollowed eye sockets were the only indication it could see at all. Raising itself on its hind legs, the creature screeched into the air and Pinkie had to cover her ears with her hooves.

"Well, look what we got here. The pink prankster all ripe for the picking."

The familiar voice washed over Pinkie's head as she felt her jaw drop open. Standing in front of her, next to the monster, was a griffon she had not seen in a long while. The only things that were different were the silver spikes that were on her tail and the black and silver half helmet with its blood red visor that sat neatly on her feathered head. She could see the beady eyes widen as her friends teleported in behind her already morphed, having been alerted to the situation by Dimitria.

She saw Rainbow Dash stiffen in surprise as she laid eyes on the griffon that had spoke. Silently, she drew on the power as Billy had taught them and felt the energy of the Element of Laughter wash over her as the magically enhanced armour settled into place. Even in her morphed state, she didn't feel confident to face down the griffon that was leering down at her. Her randomly flicking eyes caused the menu system in her helmet to seize up…just as she heard Rainbow Dash practically spit out the name of their new foe.

"Gilda."

TBC…


	16. Gilda

A/N: Writers block is a bitch, especially when you have a ton of ideas for one story but almost none for another. And for those wondering: Spike is **not** going to be a Ranger. The Dragon Jet is powered by the Green Zeo Crystal, but it won't impart any power on him.

Chapter 16: Gilda

The two former friends stared down at each other. Gilda allowed the barest hint of surprise to wash over her face before she settled into her trademark sneer.

"Lookin' sharp in blue RD. What do you say about ditchin' these punks and flyin' off with me?"

Behind her helmet, Rainbow Dash ground her teeth together. Her eyes were fixed solely on the Griffon in front of her had she didn't blink once at the trio of Z Centaurs that appeared behind them. While some small part of her still considered Gilda as her friend, there was one thing she still had to know before she categorised the creature in front of her.

"I gotta ask this, Gilda. What are you doing with those creeps?"

The griffon threw her head back and laughed as Pinkie Pie slowly edged away from her. She silently summoned her Element Morpher to her and attempted to hide it in her mane.

"Oh Dash, the power I've gotten from this guy is great! He doesn't look the greatest, but he promised me much more power if I can bring him the head of one of your friends!"

At that statement, Applejack moved to stand protectively near Rainbow Dash. She knew the cyan Pegasus would rush in and Gilda would spring her trap. Also, she didn't want Rainbow Dash to die before she could tell her how she felt. She was beginning to see what Billy had said about life or death situations. She pawed the ground and lowered her head a split second before Rainbow did the same. If they charged in a straight line, they could jump over Pinkie's head and allow her to morph.

Through her helmet, Applejack glanced at Rainbow Dash and nodded once. If they were only to get once chance at this, they would have to do it fast. Within a blink of the eye, both ponies raced towards Gilda. Leaping onto an updraft of wind, the Blue Ranger soared into the sky and within moments drew a tight bead on Gilda.

"Element Blaster, suppression fire!"

As the cyan bolts rained down onto the surprised Griffon's head, she was suddenly very grateful that Billy had explained the various fire controls of the Element Blasters in greater depth. Peeking out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pink and white flash as Pinkie morphed and jumped onto a Z Centaur that was threatening Fluttershy. Below her, she saw a red streak barrel towards Gilda and she smiled.

Gilda was pinned down by her former friend's energy bolts. The monster that her Master had sent with her was of no use and was just idly picking grass from the ground. It was just a glorified zombie Griffon anyway – and a rather weak one at that. Spying the Red Ranger race towards her, a wicked grin spread across her beak. She would make them pay for taking Dash from her. She inhaled deeply and screeched in the direction of the Ranger.

The effect was devastating.

The sonic screech bowled Applejack off her hooves and sent her sprawling. The trio of Z Centaurs shattered and the other Rangers were temporarily stunned. One more screech aimed above her and Rainbow Dash was sent spiralling out of the sky. Something inside her wanted to go and help her former friend, but the griffon stamped that urge down. If the Pegasus wanted to play hero that was her decision, but to destroy the world was better. Inhaling once again, she aimed at the falling Blue Ranger. One more sonic screech would liquefy her brain and kill her. Inhaling once more, she concentrated all of the power her Master had given her into the killing blow.

Fluttershy looked up and tried to calm her nerves. Rainbow Dash had been stunned and was free falling to the ground. At the speed she was travelling, her armour would protect her but if she involuntarily demorphed…she didn't want to think about that. Seeing Gilda take in another breath, her mind clicked that she was the only pony who could stop Dash from dying. Focusing power into her wings, she rocketed off microseconds before the sonic blast left Gilda's beak. Time seemed to slow down as she neared Rainbow Dash, millimetres ahead of the rippling air wave. With a burst of speed that would have stunned Connor McKnight, Fluttershy shoved Rainbow Dash out of the way and took the full brunt of Gilda's charged Sonic Screech.

As the blast smashed into her armour, Fluttershy felt the air compressing out of her lungs. Her wings locked up and she frantically tried to make them flap at least once to no avail. The lack of oxygen was making her dizzy and her vision started to blur. Through her darkening vision, she managed to sputter out three words.

"Element…blaster, f-fire!"

In a move that mimicked the Element Megabuster, her Element Crystal fired out a single bolt of charged Grid Energy. As Fluttershy succumbed to the darkness, she didn't see the bolt of energy strike Gilda between her eyes nor hear the horrific scream of anger and pain from the now blind Griffon.

"Gryffon! Destroy them! Start with the Pink one!"

Gilda teleported away in a flash of red. Rainbow Dash had snapped out of her near-unconscious state and had dived down to catch Fluttershy who had now demorphed. Shaking her head, she opened up a communication channel with the Command Tower.

"Billy, can you teleport Fluttershy outta here?"

"Yeah. Hold on."

With a sparkle of light, the Yellow Ranger was teleported away from the battle. Gliding down to the ground, she prodded Applejack with a hoof. Banishing away the thoughts that threatened to consume her, she prodded Applejack again until the Red Ranger raised her head from the ground.

"Come on, AJ. There's a monster to beat and we need your –"

"Help!"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked towards the shout and saw a dome made of spinning feathers engulf Pinkie Pie. The Pink Ranger only had enough time to look at the others fearfully before the dome closed around her; trapping her in with the monster Gilda had referred to as Gryffon. The Rangers traded looks of worry before looking at the dome and wondering what was going on inside.

And would Pinkie Pie prevail?

TBC…


	17. Isolation

A/N: Finally worked through my writer's block to write this. Rough around the edges and Pinkie crashes into the 4th wall repeatedly, but it's done.

Chapter 17: Isolation

She was all alone in the darkness.

She wondered why she had earned this special treatment. Surely, Gilda couldn't have held onto her grudge against her for that long? Quietly as she dared, she lifted up a hoof to feel for her Element Blaster around her neck. Feeling the metallic necklace, she relaxed slightly before remembering that she was still morphed. Giggling nervously, she looked around the darkness around her and tried to make out the monster. Her helmet's internal scanners were working on overtime and they had around thirty five percent of the area scanned. Flicking her eyes up and around to scan the area around her again, she never noticed that she had something selected.

"Pinkie…"

Her ears twitched at the mention of her name. The voice had an odd echoing quality to it as if it was spoken from a deep pit.

"Pinkie…you know you aren't cut out for this…"

The pink pony swallowed hard as she tried not to shake. Normally she would have laughed it off or attempted to see the funny side of it, but she was trapped in a dark dome with some ancient griffon monster. A gust of wind would probably destroy it, but she couldn't see any fans ready to blow. The thought of a monster being defeated by a gust of wind made her snort with laughter. The thought that Fluttershy was the only Ranger that could control wind made her laugh louder as she tried to imagine the meek Pegasus destroying the monster by herself.

"What's so funny, Ranger?"

Pinkie paused her laughter and peered around. The last voice had been harsh and grating. Suddenly, the area around her lit up with blazing fire and she jumped back to avoid the flames. Standing in front of her was Gryffon but the monster looked different than before. Its body seemed stronger and more…whole. She couldn't see any part of it that was aged or crumbling and the fire glinting off its eyes made it more demonic. Swallowing hard, she backed away slowly and tried to slow her rapidly beating heart.

"My master promised me I could have fun with you. You like to have fun…right little pony?"

She blinked and started backing away. The voice that had come out from the creature's beak wasn't harsh or grating. If she thought about it, she could sweat it almost sounded like Discord's. It was low and had a sensuous tone running through it. If it spoke more; she would probably fall under its spell and be willing to do whatever it wanted. Gryffon grinned wickedly at her and rubbed its front paws together evilly.

"Come on, little girl. It won't be bad. Just relax…"

Pinkie blinked once and grimaced. This stalkerish behaviour of the monster had gone too far and it was starting to really creep the author out. Or maybe it was the fact that it was a dreary and rainy day that had his mood coloured. She couldn't understand why these thoughts were running through her head or why she was thinking about them now. It was almost as if the thoughts were being pushed into her head by an outside source. She shrugged and refocused he attention on the monster in front of her. Now that her brain wasn't affected by the monster, she could see it for what it really was; a decaying creature with little to no will of its own. Her gaze softened as she wondered what it had been in the prime of its life and whether it had been killed by a fall from a great height.

No…that had been someone else entirely. Someone that looked strangely similar to Billy but different; the person that had appeared in her dreams a few nights in a row had told her of him. She didn't know why, but a name floated through her mind as if put there by some strange external force: Steven Johnston…whoever that was. Shaking her head once to rid herself of those thoughts, she focused on the monster again.

The monster flared its wings in rage and roared, temporarily extinguishing the fires. Pinkie screamed in fear and squeezed her eyes shut to wait for whatever end would come for her. After a while, she cautiously opened an eye and then another to see the monster standing with its wings flared…in fear? She didn't understand it. Why was the monster cowering in fear when it had been ready to use her guts as dental floss? And why was her left flank suddenly heavier?

Looking behind her, her eyes widened as she saw it gleaming in the flickering flames. It was dull grey in colour and looked like a small version of one of the guns that was on Spike's Dragon Jet. What had Billy called them again? Gate guns? Grater guns? Grating guns? Gatling guns…yes, that was it. A small version was mounted onto a metallic harness that attached onto her flank and her visor was flashing the name in a strangely hypnotic pattern.

[Boomer Blaster – Ready]

So this was the mysterious Boomer Blaster. She had no idea how it would combine with the other weapons to form the Harmony Buster, but she supposed it had been Billy's headache. Shifting her weight onto her right side, she lowered her head and pawed aggressively at the ground. A faint whine reached her ears as the barrel started to spin in preparation for the finishing blow. Revitalised or not, the monster was going down as she was almost at the peak of her rage. She wondered if there was an attack name that should be yelled out but she didn't really care.

"FIRE!"

TBC…


	18. Scythe Run

AN: And we're back! Updates will come semi-frequently in the coming months and the story will pick up once I get over the initial hurdles of introducing stuff. Still working on a potential storyline that may or may not come to fruition.

Anyway, Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Scythe Run

"I will destroy them and feast on their flesh!"

Zedd turned away from the newly transformed Gilda and chuckled wickedly as he looked at the glowing Crystal in his hand. The Dark Ultra Crystal had performed better than he would have thought for transforming flesh and mutating it into something stronger. He almost wished the griffon would have kept her quadrupedal stance but waved away that train of thought. A bipedal griffon warrior would do nicely until he could figure out how to resurrect the dead with the crystal. Then Goldar would be his top warrior once more and he knew the golden titan would love to go a few rounds with the ex-Blue Ranger. Whatever the outcome; it would be prolonged, messy and would end with the brainy one ravaged beyond repair.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the pathetic mass of azure flesh finally starting to take on a coherent form. Tricksy was now a half reptilian, half unicorn beast with a crocodilian head adorned with a stubby horn and ringed with a bluish-green mane. The hooves on her hind legs remained but the skin had vanished; exposing the musculature beneath…as well as gleaming white bone. Her front legs had twisted into grasping claws that ended in razor sharp talons that could easily slice through the hardened granite walls. From the feeble attempts she kept making, Zedd could see that the reptilian unicorn was trying to achieve a bipedal stance. He let her continue in her attempts and walked out to the mouth of the cavern.

The Everfree Forest surrounded his cave and he longed for the airless void of the Moon…but knew that wasn't a viable option. For one thing; his servants needed oxygen and sustenance to keep functioning well, even though they had been magically enhanced. A more pressing problem was that while the Moon in his home dimension moved on its own and wasn't monitored; the Moon over Equestria was…by Celestia's sister Luna. The alicorn would surely sense a structure being summoned onto the stony surface within seconds. After that, the Rangers would probably come up in their Zords that the ex Ranger had undoubtedly given them. He couldn't risk that happening yet.

Sensing a presence behind him, he turned his head to see Discord next to him. The former alicorn had a wide smile on its face and nodded once to his Lord. Nodding back, Zedd felt a rush of anticipation fill his body as his servant slipped into the depths of Everfree. So, Discord had pierced the dimensional wall and had a subconscious hold on the former Green Ranger. Even if his friends realised what was happening, they were powerless to stop it as Zordon was long gone and their 'main brain' was in Equestria. It was a stroke of genius to allow Discord to use what little magic he had left to reach through the dimensional barrier piggybacking on his magical sight spell. Of course, the magic Discord had remaining wasn't enough to fry an egg with but it still had enough manipulative power in it to enslave an unguarded opponent. The information Zedd had learnt during that bout of 'Ranger Watching' had also been very interesting.

The Yellow Ninja Ranger was dead. Killed by, of all things, a suicidal monster. He had almost slapped his face at procuring the information from Tommy's mind…but was stopped by an overwhelming desire to live. A suicidal beast would be a useful terror tactic against to Rangers but the novelty would wear off after a few detonations. He had been so surprised that the connection to the 'other side' had been cut off but Discord had gotten the job done anyway. Any further musings was cut off by a strange sound near his feet. Looking down, the dark Lord saw a strange insectoid chirping excitedly as it sniffed his transformed feet. Lifting up his staff to crush the insolent insect, he stopped as it was joined by two more creatures that had flown in from the Everfree. Magically ensnaring once, he brought it up to eye level and examined it.

If he was a more sentimental overlord, he would have called it cute. Two brightly coloured eyes jutted out from a blue face that was disturbingly humanlike. Six jointed legs stuck out from underneath the face and four thin wings lightly flicked in the shifting breeze. Sneering under his mask, he snatched it out of the air and crushed it in his hoof-like hand; chuckling in dark pleasure as dark green slime oozed out from between his fingers. Tightening his grip on the Dark Ultra Crystal, he laughed as a new segment of information wormed its way into his mind. He could create monsters with the Ultra Energy but he would have to merge one creature with an inanimate object that was either built or magically created. Wiping the remains of the insect on a broad leafed plant, he concentrated his energy and summoned a long scythe into his open hand.

"Parasprite? What is Master doing with a Parasprite?"

Zedd turned to see Tricksy staring curiously at the creatures at his feet. They smelt the remains of their brethren and were licking the slime with bright pink tongues. Not wanting to listen to Tricksy's rambling explanation, Zedd pointed his Crystal at the reptile's mind and savagely ripped the information out from her mind while she screamed in fear and pain. Cackling as he raped her mind for the information, Lord Zedd exerted all of his power into tearing apart her defences; irregardless of whatever disturbing images he saw.

"Master, no! Not there! Tricksy begs you to stop!"

After another few minutes prolonging the mental destruction of his servant, Zedd released her from his spell. Parasprites…were interesting creatures indeed. Just one could consume an apple tree in mere moments while a large swarm of them could fly across miles…destroying everything in their path. They were the Equestrian analogue to locusts and he would use them as such. Kicking away his useless servant, Zedd threw the scythe down onto the two Parasprites with a clatter. One was sliced in two by the blade but the other remained intact.

Unleashing a torrent of magic, the transformation and melding of the two objects began. From her vantage point on the ground, Tricksy squinted through the pain as the Parasprite began to merge with the strange weapon her Master had summoned. The cute eyes grew larger and became compound and its teeth turned into crushers, fangs and mandibles. Blades of some metallic alloy burst out from its exoskeleton and it roared to the Heavens as it finished its transformation. Her Master seemed pleased with his work and pointed in the direction of the accursed town of Ponyville.

"Parascythe, go forth and destroy them all!"

TBC…


	19. Multiversal

AN: And we're back again! So soon after the last update! Finally worked out that story arc and the fruits are below! Another note after the chapter…Enjoy!

Chapter 19: Multiversal

Once again, explosions rocked Ponyville.

Buildings crumbled and ponies flew into the air as Parascythe marched through the streets. It was handpicked from an utterly boring existence and magically changed so it could best serve Lord Zedd. Its only goal was to draw out the Power Rangers and destroy them so his Master could rule the world. As a Parasprite, it already had the means of which to do so by means of his new jaws that could crunch through the armour of their suits. Even if the powerless Ranger tried to stop it, it would still reign supreme. Flexing the muscles on its back, four blades stretched out and cut a fleeing pony to shreds as ponies screamed at the gruesome sight. It threw back its monstrous head and cackled at the sky as blood dripped from its blades.

"Stop right there!"

Turning, it saw that the Power Rangers had arrived. They would soon find out that nothing could stop the Parascythe. They would fight it and die in their vain attempts.

"Rangers, how nice of you to join me. Parascythe is me name and destruction is me game."

Applejack instinctively recoiled at the chittering voice that issued from the twin crushers of the beast in front of them. Billy had alerted them to a disturbance in Ponyville and they had morphed onto the scene within seconds. Rarity had to leave the Cutie Mark Crusaders in the hands of Billy and judging from the sounds coming over the communication systems, he was having a rough time handling the three fillies.

"Girls, careful of those blades in its back. Those can cut through anything with ease…Applebloom; don't touch that button! Sweetie Belle; that's dangerously close to the multiversal opener! Just…Scootaloo, careful around those parts!"

Something about the Multiversal Opener sounded strangely ominous and Applejack shuffled closer to Rainbow Dash either for protection or to use her as a pony shield. She wasn't sure which choice she would make but standing next to the Blue Ranger made her feel that much better. In hindsight, she would see that doing this was not the best thing she could have done in that situation; but Bill hadn't told them then what the Multiversal Opener could do. Facing down Parascythe, the Rangers pawed at the ground in anticipation and activated their Element Blasters.

Roaring a challenge, the insectoid monster rushed them and extended its blades. Scattering in all directions, the Rangers recovered their senses and fired blast after blast of elemental energy into the monster. AJ felt her blood run cold as the bolts had no apparent effect. Leaping backwards, a flash of light from her right signified that Pinkie Pie had summoned her Boomer Blaster and was firing off repeated blasts. The bolts of pink energy splashed against the hardened carapace and left it smoking but mostly undamaged. Mind racing, AJ scrolled through her weapon options and was only mildly aware of Rainbow Dash changing her tail armour into a lightning bolt-shaped blade.

"Buckin' Cannon!"

In a flare of red light, the Buckin' Cannon materialised on her right flank and Applejack felt unbalanced. The cannon looked like a small barrel of some kind but it was longer and seemed to be made out of some metallic substance. AJ cocked and eyebrow as she finished admiring the weapon. She had just been cursing out loud and hadn't expected her Harmony Buster part to have the same name as one of her curses. Drawing a bead on the insectoid monster currently nearing on Rarity, she sub vocalised the firing command and dug in her hooves as the recoil nearly spun her around.

"Sweetie Belle…not that button on the Multiversal Opener! That scans the monster and draws similar energy from the Multiverse and deposits it on the battlefield! We could end up with another Zedd or a more dangerous monster!"

As the blast of red energy streaked towards Parascythe, Applejack's eyes widened as she heard Billy's explanation. A more dangerous version of Parascythe would be more than a hoof-full and would certainly kill them all. Over the communication system, Sweetie Belle tried desperately to shut off the Opener; almost drowning out Billy's attempt to explain something to them. As Parascythe fell back due to the energy blast, the Rangers gathered together and strained their ears trying to hear what the veteran Ranger was trying to tell them.

"Rangers, you can channel your Element Powers into your hooves for a powered charge attack. It's more of a finishing move but it's called the Friendship Stampede! Oh no…Sweetie Belle, just let it turn off on its own! We'll deal with what comes out soon! The Friendship Stampede is your best bet for destroying the monster! The power from the Elements of Harmony will protect your bodies from the blades on its back but hurry! Applebloom…not the water!"

Twilight Sparkle stifled a giggle at Billy's attempts at corralling the Cutie Mark Crusaders but refocused back to the present moment. Sharing a glance with the other Rangers, they formed a straight line, closed their eyes and concentrated their energies. Not less than a few seconds later, their bodies began to be enveloped in shimmering lights the same colour as their Ranger uniforms. All four of their hooves pulsed with energy and they lowered their heads to the ground in readiness. Snapping her eyes open, Twilight zeroed in on the monster through the purple haze and initiated the finisher.

"Friendship Stampede!"

In unison, the Rangers leapt forward and charged at the helpless monster. The energy wave that preceded them knocked Parascythe of its feet and into the path of the charging Rangers. As the Rangers charged over the creature, the raw power of the Elements of Harmony flooded its body and set off small explosions within the carapace. As the last Ranger, Fluttershy, trampled the beast; it exploded in a ball of smoke and dust that obscured the vision of the Rangers.

"Don't celebrate just yet guys. Wait, this can't be right…"

Out of the dust cloud came four blades that sliced and cut into the Rangers. As they fell back injured, the dust cleared to show Parascythe alive and well…despite looking like it had been heavily damaged by the supposed finisher. Looking at the downed Rangers, it inwardly smirked. An attack like that wasn't an instant death sentence but it still hurt like Hell. It saw that the Red and Blue Rangers had been knocked close together and it chuckled. The griffon would want the Blue Ranger alive for play and the Red Ranger's head would make a good trophy for its Lord.

Suddenly, the two Rangers vanished in front of its eyes. Looking around the burning buildings, it tried to smell their unique scents…but couldn't see anything except some sort of swirling portal that rapidly snapped shut. Shaking its head, it laughed out loud.

"Rangers, two of your number have vanished. Now what will you do?"

Twilight groggily raised her head up and weakly called for Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Not hearing a reply, she squinted against the pain and focused in on two unfamiliar humanoids behind the monster – one clad in purple and the other in Orange. As she struggled to reply to the monster's comments, an unfamiliar voice sliced through the air.

"Simple. Destroy your ugly ass!"

TBC…

AN 2: Events happen directly after the Xonix Moon Fortress attack. You'll just have to wait until I catch up to find out how Applejack and Rainbow Dash will react!


	20. Misplaced Emotion

Pinkie Note: HEY! There're new Rangers on the scene here! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Ponies = not mine. Power Rangers = Not mine. Powers, characters and anything else from the Ultra Crystals = mine.

Chapter 20: Misplaced Emotion

Twilight could only stare in shock as they went to work.

The strange distortion in the sky had sucked up Applejack and Rainbow Dash within a split second and she had seen two humanoid figures wearing what looked like Ranger armour…and whoever they were; they were carving up Parascythe easily. Their armour shone in the light as they moved in perfect synch with each other – somehow knowing exactly where the other was at all times. The Rangers had picked themselves off the ground and were looking around for their missing friends. Fluttershy even thought to look for Rainbow Dash under a rock…which was either extremely brilliant or exceedingly idiotic. Billy had long since stopped lecturing the Crusaders and was scanning for their biorhythms and power signatures. Royal Court had finished a few minutes ago and Rarity was informing the Princesses what had occurred.

"Raptor Sabre!"

Turning her head to look at the battle behind her, she was amazed to see the one in Orange pull out a long sword from seemingly nowhere and wield it effectively at the blades that were flying at him. On the other side of the monster, the Purple one had some sort of gauntlet weapon out and was striking the carapace hard; judging from the cracks that pierced the air at random intervals. A quick flurry of slashes later and Parascythe's blades lay shattered at its feet. The creature shrieked in pain as it desperately tried to retreat from the battle. One of its fists caught the Orange on in the chest and flung him into a nearby pile of burning rubble.

For her part, the Purple one was unphased and dismissed her gauntlet weapon to…stand perfectly still? Twilight furrowed her brow at the sight but soon processed what was happening as the Purple one jumped at the monster and extended a leg. Purple energy surrounded the leg in a similar fashion to their Friendship Stampede but the energy reformed itself into a seemingly draconic head.

"Carno Crash!"

As the energy head smashed against the chest of Parascythe, it seemed to dig its teeth into its carapace; smashing through the armour like a hot knife through butter. The force of the blow knocked it back and it shakily raised a hand to feel the gaping hole in its chest. Wailing in fear and pain, it fell back and exploded in a bright ball of fire that confirmed its destruction. Still gaping at the Purple figure, Twilight struggled to get to her feet to ask them who they were.

"Don't move. You're pretty sliced up. Is there anywhere you can go for help like a Command Centre or something?"

Twilight raised her head to see the Orange figure kneeling next to her and she swallowed in fear as her eyes took in the extreme detailing of his helmet. She could also see his armour was scorched and had dents in the breastplate that hadn't come from the Parascythe battle; meaning whoever he was had probably been transported directly after a battle…or during one in progress. Nodding once, she struggled to stand up but the mysterious Ranger gently pushed her down with an exasperated sigh. Jerking his head up, she gasped as his opaque visor retracted to show his face. Whoever he was, he had short black hair and extremely dark brown eyes that bordered on black. He reached up to his face to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiled warmly.

"Weihan, the monster is no more. Now what do we do?"

Weihan…was that his name or a strange code name? She suddenly gasped as a sharp pain lanced through her side and her Ranger armour shattered in violet sparkles. The Ranger above her narrowed his eyes in concern and turned to face his partner. His voice was commanding and strong, but held a note of concern for the bleeding pony.

"Eliza, we need to gather them up for an emergency teleport. Run radars and scanners until you find their base or you find somewhere sheltered for us to fully heal them."

"Wait, please do not do that. We are willing to let you into the Command Tower if you would please follow me."

Twilight squinted through the pain to see Princess Celestia walk towards them as regal as ever; even with the fierce worry on her face. She stifled a laugh as she saw the Orange Ranger's eyes bulge out as he took in the sight in front of him before he attempted to compose himself…poorly. She heard him mutter a few words under his breath and looked in shock as his battered armour vanished; leaving him clad in an Orange bodysuit with red and white highlights. His voice betrayed his unbelieving stare.

"All right. I, uh, thank you for your offer and generosity. Truth is, we're kind of stuck here as well. We'll get to that later but first, these ponies need to be healed up."

Princess Celestia nodded sagely and concentrated on the group in front of her. Magic charged her horn and enveloped the Rangers in front of her and transported them to the Command Tower instantly. Looking around her at the destruction, she sighed and pawed at the ground nervously. Monster shelters would soon have to be constructed as well as an underground bunker for the full evacuation of the town. She had do doubt that someday Discord would break free of Zedd's command to decimate Canterlot and everything in his path. Heaving a sigh of regret at the changes that would be forced to take place; she beat her wings to take her back to the Command Tower. However, she was not prepared for the sight that awaited her upon return.

"Get away from them! They don't need to be healed by your magic!"

Princess Celestia's brow furrowed in concern as she saw Billy stepping toward the Ranger in Orange. The Orange figure had removed his helmet and had apparently just finished laying Fluttershy on the medical bed. In one hand, he held a strange crystal shaped like a jagged lightning bolt and was holding it near the yellow Pegasus' head. The timid Ranger cowered at Billy's wrath behind the Orange Ranger as the Purple Ranger hovered near Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. Rarity was lying on the second Med Bed while Spike tended to her. With some amusement, she noted that all of his attention was on the drama that was unfolding.

"The magic from my Ultra Crystal will heal all of their wounds both internal and external. The power will even replace any blood lost; which is probably better than what your Eltarean Medical Bays can do!"

Billy stepped back, shocked that the mysterious Ranger knew what technology was inside the Med Beds and their proper name. There was more to the Ranger than met the eye and the former Blue Ranger threw his hands up in frustrated defeat. Seeing that as a sign that he should continue, the Orange Ranger knelt down next to Fluttershy's head and stroked her pale pink mane soothingly. Billy watched the Asian boy murmur something to the timid pony which calmed her down and he held his breath as the 'Ultra' Crystal began to glow with power. His mouth slowly dropped open as the cuts and bruises on the Yellow Ranger slowly faded away into nothingness and he felt shame run through his body as he knew he had misjudged the new Ranger. Feeling a presence next to him, he looked to his right to see the Purple Ranger's helmet vanish in a shower of sparks. She looked painfully young as she brushed her light brown hair back behind her ears.

"Don't feel ashamed at your actions. If I was in your shoes, I would have thought the same thing. Maybe we started off on the wrong foot. I'm the Purple Carnotaurus Ultra Ranger, Eliza Maddock. You may be aware that we're not from around here."

Billy snorted and nodded tiredly. Seeing his nod, Eliza continued, inclining her head to where the Orange Ranger had finished with Fluttershy. The strain and weariness on the Asian's face was evident as he staggered to Twilight's side to repeat the process a second time.

"That's my leader, Weihan Liang; the Orange Utahraptor Ultra Ranger. His Crystal _is_ the only one that can fully heal anyone but as you can see, it is an incredible drain on him. He's also the one that gathered the rest of the Ultra Rangers together after…something happened to him. I've seen him in the Ultra Cavern watching a suit recording of something but he won't say what it is."

A crash caught their attention and they looked up to see Weihan slumped over on the ground. As Eliza raced to her leader's side, Billy saw the Ranger Armour dissolve in a shimmer of light that left the Asian in the clothes he had been wearing before he morphed. Slowly walking to the Med beds, he checked the scans on Fluttershy and sighed heavily. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were good Rangers and if things became too hectic wherever they were, they could summon their Zords; which were stored in a subspace pocket inside the Element Crystals. Their use of the Zords would mean that they could, in theory, locate the dimension they had landed in and swiftly bring them back. As he saw Eliza guide her leader to the Med Bed Twilight had vacated, he wondered what sort of dimension they had come from.

And if their Rangers would help his.

TBC…


	21. Differences

AN: Different paths taken for Xonix and Twinlobe here. Then again, the dimension Zedd is from is the 'core' PR universe… Enjoy!

Edit 3: Not sure what happened either...it can't be just me having to do all this...

Chapter 21: Differences

Rewinding the footage, he growled softly.

Wherever the two new Rangers had come from, they had destroyed Parascythe in less than ten minutes. The power they possessed was incredible and matched the intensity of his own Dark Ultra Crystal…which meant that those Rangers came from the same place as it. He felt an uneasiness settle over him at that thought. Lord Zedd tapped his chin in deep thought and looked around him. Gilda was leaning on one of the walls and admiring her new looks for the billionth time. Discord was hunched over a screen and was weaving what little magic he had left on the former Red Ranger. Tricksy had forgotten his mind rape of her and was hovering around his feet like a demented dog.

It would be foolish to think that these Rangers didn't have their Zords with them. Even if he made a monster grow, the damned ponies would summon their Zords to do battle with it. Rewatching the finisher the Purple Ranger had pulled off, he growled yet again. With that amount of Power he wouldn't be surprised if they had methods to destroy giant monsters without a Zord as one of the Overdrive Rangers had. Attacking again so soon would throw them off track and would allow him to analyse the strength of the mysterious Rangers. If he created a dimensional monster, he could easily send the Rangers back to their own dimension. Either that or they would be forced to wander the dimensions endlessly.

No, that would be detrimental to his hold over his followers if he were to help the Rangers in any way. He was still smarting from helping the Zeo Rangers escape the Machine Empire all those years ago; so helping the two misplaced Rangers would be utterly humiliating. Switching off the recording, he looked outside the cavern and chuckled at the thick column of smoke coming from the direction of Ponyville. The white Princess would be forced to construct monster shelters in that small town as well as in the capital of Canterlot. That sign would inform the populace that the monster attacks were now a part of daily life and would lead to civil unrest.

Of course, there was still the off chance that the citizens of Equestria would see the monster shelters as a necessary evil due to the constant attacks and would boost Celestia's popularity tenfold. Self-defence classes would start popping up and the cycle of destruction and violence would start anew. That was the best option in his opinion as it would allow Discord to slip through the cracks and pose as a wandering magician…and that would be the undoing of the residents of Ponyville. The only problem with that plan was the wandering magician shtick had been tried before with Tricksy and had resulted in an Ursa Minor attack. And Discord had said that that trick had been used before by him a few years before his imprisonment.

Growling softly to himself, he called up the screen again to rewatch the monster battle. The movements of the two Rangers were fluid and strangely elegant and Zedd found himself thinking of life back on his home planet of Aisalar and his older brother Prince Xonix. He had always had grand dreams for the future and had expressed great delight when the family fortune-teller had proclaimed that he would be the greatest Overlord in the Universe. His brother had thrown himself into training and making himself stronger and had even taken to reading some of the forbidden texts in the archives. Reading them would condemn any other native to death but as Xonix was the heir to his father's throne…the steps taken had been slightly too extreme. Xonix was stripped of his title, rank and privileges and was placed under house arrest. His father had fought greatly for his prized son but eventually had to bow to pressure from the public and give the title of Prince to Zedd.

And then the plague had hit.

Aisalar had been hit with a devastating off-world illness that had killed almost everyone. Xonix and his father had hung on the longest but succumbed to the disease. Zedd had managed to flee the planet in he early stages as he had been charged by the Healers to find the only thing capable of destroying the plague: the Zeo Crystal. That mission had ended in failure as he was forced to endure the agonising pain of having his skin stripped from his body and most of his skull removed. He had been found by an Anishan crime overlord that called himself Twinlobe and had 'volunteered' the young prince as a test subject for an extremely dangerous experiment. He had agreed to it but had not expected the injection of molten Zycordian silver directly into his body.

The Zycordian silver had reacted with the energy in his body and had formed long strips of metallic armour that held his internal organs mostly in check and had moulded into a fearsome-looking helmet that had exposed his brain to the outside. The Zycordian silver had even wrapped around his ceremonial staff and transformed it into a mighty weapon that could transform into a snake with just a thought. Zedd had learnt about the devastation of Aisalar in convalescence and had received his father's last message soon after. Breaking free of the Anishan had been a difficult task but thanks to the amplified magic in his body, he left his captors as smears on the walls. Stealing a small shuttle, he had wandered the galaxies for a long while before beginning his reign as Lord Zedd.

Which began the path that led him here: in a different dimension battling Rangers from other dimensions. He sighed as he watched the image of the Orange Ranger pull out his weapon and chuckled as he was flung into a building. He would build up his forces slowly and attack when they least expected.

And he would destroy them…personally.

TBC…


	22. Initiations

Edit: FF is fucking up again...let's hope it gets uploaded _this_ time...Or maybe I need to stop uploading three chapters in a row. Nah...

Chapter 22: Initiations

A sharp beeping roused him from his rest.

Opening his eyes, he looked up at the ornately decorated ceiling above him before blinking in confusion. The Ultra Cavern didn't have decorations like that on its ceiling, so where was he? Slowly raising himself up off the slab he was lying on, he looked around him and the memories came flooding back. The assault on Xonix's Fortress, the Brown Crystal, the portal and the entering into another dimension. Strangely, everything after the healing of the Yellow Ranger was a blank. Nodding to the unmorphed ponies around him, he looked at Eliza and gave her a weak smile before shaking his head to clear the cloudiness. Exhaling slowly, his eyes widened as he took in the brilliant designs on the stained glass windows along the long hall of the Command Tower. Stylised designs of ponies were posed in exploration, attack, victory and defeat. One pane of glass showed strange crystals resting on a pedestal of some sort with the strange winged unicorn staring at them.

"Those are the Elements of Harmony."

Jerking his head up at the voice, he spun around and saw that the winged unicorn was next to him. Gripping the sides of the slab, he swung his legs over the edge and lowered himself to the floor. Seeing that his energy was recovering nicely, the winged unicorn spoke again. Weihan smiled at how melodious her regal voice sounded.

"Please do not strain yourself. You are still recovering from your energy drain. My name is Princess Celestia and I am the ruling monarch of the land of Equestria."

Weihan nodded as he flexed his arms. An energy drain was consistent with using his powers to heal…but that didn't explain the sharp beeping near him. Ignoring the oddity for the time being, he looked to the Princess and asked about Equestria and its inhabitants. The Princess laughed lightly at his question and obliged.

"Equestria is a land inhabited by ponies of three species. Earth Ponies tend to the land, Pegasi to the weather and Unicorns allow propagation of knowledge and magic. I, like my sister, am an alicorn and to the best of my knowledge we are the only two true alicorns in all of Equestria. The Elements of Harmony are the strongest concentrations of magic and are known to be able to purify evil from any being they are used against."

Nodding lightly, Weihan tried to wrap his brain around the information being given as the Princess kept talking. If the Elements were the energy source that the Rangers of this world drew from, they would be very formidable indeed. He didn't quite know how quadrupeds could battle bipedal monsters…then again; he had seen the Friendship Stampede at work. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. He would eventually have to go back to his world but he wished he could open up a permanent two-way portal to help the Rangers whenever they needed help.

The beeping sounded again, louder and closer. He stifled a yelp as he looked around for the source. The Princess had ceased talking and was also looking around in confusion; as were the Rangers and Eliza. As the beeping increased speed, he squinted at the communicator on his left wrist. Shaking his head again, he pressed the side button cautiously.

"Hello?"

After a burst of static, the familiar voice of Rachelle Cole, the Silver Ultra Ranger broke through.

"Weihan, thank God we've managed to break through the dimensional walls! You have to hand it to Will and Justin; those two can do anything!"

Weihan sagged on the wall next to the Med Bed as Eliza let out a small cheer before running to his side. Popping open the clasp of his communicator, she slid it off his wrist and onto the communication station. As Twilight helped the Purple Ultra Ranger with strengthening the signal, Weihan felt a surge of relief wash over him. While communication didn't mean they had a way to go back just yet; it meant the Rangers had a way to communicate with their displaced team mates. He blinked in surprise as a very familiar voice came over the air…but judging from the smiles that broke out on the ponies faces, it didn't belong to the girl he loved.

"Hey, we're here an' the Ultra Rangers are mighty fine folk! Don't know who this 'Jacqui' is that everyone keeps telling me about but I'm sure ta meet her soon! For those Rangers who don't know who ah am, I'm Applejack and your team says hi. And Dash says hi as well…but she's swooping round the base"

Inwardly, Weihan laughed as Eliza shot him a sly look. There was a pony in the Ultra Cavern with the same voice as his girlfriend. If those two met each other…well, he didn't want to know what would happen. It would certainly put a strange spin on his earlier comments comparing her to a pony. The Rangers let out whoops and cheers as they learnt the status of their missing friends and their cries of joy lightened the shadows in his heart. He saw Billy walk in with the Pink pony from a side corridor and nodded once to them before opening his mouth to reply to the pony. He only managed a sound that was the beginning of an acknowledgement when shouts in the background drew his attention.

"The Hell? Is that a talking pony? And what is going on here? I'm taking Rebecca and we're leaving now!"

Well, it seemed Alex had wasted no time in recruiting Rebecca to the team; and it seemed Sam Perry was inside the Ultra Cavern for some unfathomable reason. Rubbing his temples with a hand, he walked over to the communication station and knelt down near the communicator. Opening his mouth to try to calm the boy down, he was interrupted yet again by Heather's soft voice.

"Sorry Wei, we had to bring him along. We were attacked by the grunts of the new evil force and Sam was caught up. He's having a bit of difficulty accepting Rebecca as the new Ultra Ranger."

Shaking his head, he let out a harsh bark of laughter before speaking to the Princess.

"And this is why you ensure no civilians are caught up in the process of recruitment…All right. Sam, pull your head out of your ass and listen!"

Twilight blinked in surprise as she heard the Orange Ranger's voice change from self-deprecating and teasing to harsh and stern in an instant. Fluttershy covered next to the Orange Ranger and she saw him lightly drop his hand to stroke her mane to calm her down. It was an automatic gesture, but allowed the purple unicorn to see the kindness in his heart. Billy felt some of his tension and apprehensions dissolve as well and felt that he had sorely misjudged the young man in front of him; but found it strange that a civilian would be in the secret base of the Rangers.

"Sam, I know you're confused and possibly a little angry but listen. Rebecca was picked not only by myself, but by the Ultra Crystal she will be wielding. The same Ultra Crystal that has a direct line to the Universal Morphin Grid – one of the strongest energy grids in the universe and that knows everything about anything. From what I can see, this same Grid perpetuates throughout the known Universe and even in alternate dimensions. She will be in a team that will protect her and teach her how to effectively use the power at her disposal. We will do everything we can to ensure that she does not abuse what is given to her. In return, we ask that you be there for her. "

He paused to let it sink in and looked down at the Pegasus at his feet. She looked up at him with her aquamarine eyes and leant her head on his upper thigh. Smiling down at her, he opened his mouth once more to address the person on the other end of the line.

"All we ask is that you accept this and be there for her. Being a Ranger is tough and the things we see can really fuck us up if we don't have support. We take care of each other as we go but there are some things that even we cannot heal. That's where you come in. Talk to her and keep your relationship alive but know that there will be some things that she will not be able to tell you. Knowing all this, do you still consent to having her join the Ultra Rangers?"

He heard a heavy sigh on the other end that was followed by a slight electrical crackling and shouts. He guessed Rebecca had accepted the Power of the Brown Crystal of her own accord and was proven right as a light shudder ran through his and Eliza's bodies. The Ultra Rangers were now complete and Sam had to accept that any decision he would have made was out of his hands. Grinning widely, he spoke once more.

"Well, that takes care of that. Rebecca, welcome to the Ultra Rangers. To the Equestrian Rangers in our dimension, excuses will be made for you and we will ensure that everything is still relatively in one piece upon your return."

Static started to creep into the transmission and Weihan knew the link between dimensions was fading fast. He nodded at the communicator even though he knew he couldn't be seen and signed off.

"Bye for now; and may the Power protect you."

TBC…


	23. Waves

Chapter 23: Waves

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Biting back a sigh, Weihan nodded and continued channelling Power into the scorched object in front of him. Billy hovered over his shoulder watching in awe as his Power Morpher slowly repowered itself. He had his doubts about allowing the Orange Ranger to infuse his Morpher with energy from his Ultra Grid, but he had been reassured that it would be safe. The energy would even last after they had left for their own dimension and, if need be, Billy was sketching out a way the transfer could be done through the dimensional barrier. Taking his eyes off the transfer, the Blue Ranger looked around the Command Tower. Eliza was busy talking to both Princess Celestia and Dimitria about similarities between dimensions and the other Rangers and Luna were listening intently.

His thoughts drifted to the gift Weihan had given him after his displeasure at seeing the Training Room wrecked. Apparently it was the results of a proposed automated Zord repair system he had discarded in his dimension. The nanobots were incredible and disassembling one of them had yielded a wealth of data that he could use to adapt the system for the Harmonyzords. They were also self-replicating and were slowly filling a large unused tank in the Zord Bay. The Orange Ranger had reassured him that the communication link between their dimensions could stay open if he left his communicator with them as it had something to do with anchoring the communication signal…something that was extremely technical even for him.

"Finished. You should have enough Morphin energy for a couple of morphs…just conserve your strength whenever you can."

Billy nodded and was about to speak when the Orange Ranger shook his head.

"No new weapons, however I have implemented something in there for…future use."

As Billy looked at him questioningly, Weihan shook his head. He was slightly exhausted from the power transfer, but it would fade within a few minutes. However, what he couldn't shake from his mind were the images and feelings he had seen upon the first few second of energy transfer.

Flash

_Billy held the crystal aloft, staring at it. Blackened Heart had done a number on him, but the magic of the Princesses had healed him nicely. He supposed it was also due to the Ultra Energy that had been infused into his Morpher but didn't care. Holding his Morpher in one hand, he clicked it open and slid the round jewel into the centre depression. He nodded at Celestia's voice._

"_This is only half of your Powers. The other half…well, that is for you to discover on your own."_

_Billy closed his Morpher and gazed at it. He would complete the Prophecy and bring light to the word once more._

_End Flash_

Whatever was going to happen would be happening in the future. He couldn't help to wonder who this Blackened Heart was and what sort of monster it could possibly be to extinguish the light in Equestria; but at the same time, he didn't want to know. Trying to work out Xonix's true motives and intentions was scary enough. Extending the softly glowing Morpher to Billy, he opened his mouth to speak when the alarms went off. Turning around, he raced to the main scanners just as Spike finished pulling up the images near the Everfree Forest. Pinkie poked her head into his line of vision and let out a dismayed moan.

"Aw, ponyfeathers. We're in trouble with AJ and Dashie gone. We're only down to four Rangers."

"Seven, actually."

Weihan's offhand comment made all eyes turn to him and he absentmindedly gestured to himself, Eliza and Billy as his eyes roved the crowd of grunts and monsters. One looked like a humanoid griffon, one was a bipedal Pegasus that was wearing a helmet with a bloody hole in the middle of it and there were two monsters in front of the throng. One was a bear-like creature with a hide that reflected the night sky and it had random saw blades sticking out of extremely random places. The other was a monster that honestly looked like a bipedal water heater with gaudy flame attachments dotted all over it. One of its hands looked like a vacuum cleaner nozzle while the other was what appeared to be a machine gun.

He made a move for his Ultra Crystal when a beeping from his communicator caught his attention. Squeezing out of the tightly pressed bodies, he moved to a relatively quiet place and hit the flashing button.

"Guys, can't talk! Zedd just went all out on Ponyville and all of us are about to teleport down and head him off!"

"What? Is that…Zedd? With Discord and…Gilda?"

Turning at Twilight's shout, Weihan saw the colour drain from Billy's face and heard his morpher clatter to the floor as his fingers fell slack. Rushing back to the Scanning station, he pressed the dropped object into Billy's hands and stared at the image on screen in shock. There was no doubt that the twisted horse-like creature on screen was Lord Zedd; even with the strange equine features he had somehow acquired. In one hoof-like hand, he grasped his signature Z staff and his brain pulsed in the afternoon sun. Biting back a curse, he turned to Celestia and began to speak when a very familiar voice washed over him.

"Lord Zedd appearance? How could Zedd be…oh, alternate dimension. Oops."

As the ponies barely looked in his direction, he exchanged a wry glance with Eliza at AJ's voice. He barked a short, strained chuckle and sighed in resignation. So AJ was in the Ultra Cavern and she had probably met Applejack and Rainbow Dash. He wondered what she thought of the Earth Pony; whatever it was, it was probably a good thing they were dimensional counterparts of each other.

"Nice to hear your voice, AJ. Hope you're not too freaked out by what you see and from what I've heard about her, Applejack is your dimensional counterpart."

He silently slid his Ultra Crystal out of his chest and – before his girlfriend could reply – he heard the alarms of the Ultra Cavern start ringing in the background. Exchanging worried glances with Eliza and Celestia, Weihan motioned to the others that they should go on ahead. Billy shook his head and spoke quietly so his voice wouldn't be picked up by his communicator.

"We'll all go together. We'll show Zedd our full hand."

"Oh God, is that an Iguanodon? Bec's going to be pissed"

Letting out a light chuckle at Rachelle's words, Eliza looked at the group in front of her. All in all, they had four Equestrian Rangers, a repowered Mighty Morphin Power Ranger and two Ultra Rangers against a large group of grunts; something called Discord, a humanoid griffon called Gilda, two monsters and Zedd. It was all pretty hilarious but they had to take action now unless they wanted Ponyville to be destroyed again.

"Rangers, come out and face me! Show me the strength of the Ultra Rangers!"

At the rough voice coming from the communicator, the Rangers blinked in surprise as Weihan clenched his teeth together and growled out a single word.

"Xonix."

Eliza blinked. Her friends were going up against the being that had sent down countless monsters and launched dozens of attacks at them. Well, hopefully they would be getting support from the Turbo Rangers. Pushing herself away from the console, she reached up and pulled her Ultra Crystal out of her chest as Weihan continued speaking.

"All of you need to be very careful with him. He's extremely dangerous. I have to go now and may the Power protect you."

Weihan ended the communication with a sigh and looked around him. Gripping his Ultra Crystal in one hand, he shook his head at the situation in his home dimension. Xonix was on Earth again, three months or so after his first expedition. He guessed that the overlord wanted to see what it would be like fighting in the day but anything involving Xonix was like trying to hold a live fish in one hand. Glancing at Billy, he was extremely shocked to see the more experienced Ranger nod at him and he swallowed the lump that had somehow formed in his throat. He spoke in a low, dangerous voice.

"We go unmorphed and kick Zedd's ass into next week!"

TBC…


	24. Morphin I

AN: Short chapter of morphs and roll calls. Is titled Morphin I as Morphin II is in The Ultra Crystals. Chronologically, this morph happens first.

Chapter 24: Morphin I

"Welcome to your doom, Rangers!"

Weihan clenched his fist as he surveyed the army in front of him. Seven Rangers wasn't a whole lot, but the Ultra Rangers more than made up for any weak points in battle. Zedd's appearance was different but he seemed similar to the version he knew. The monsters could all be dealt with easily with the possible exception of the water heater creature. Drawing out his Ultra Crystal, he held it in the air and exhaled evenly. Morphers were brought out of their subspace pockets and he smirked as he heard Zedd's shout of disbelief.

"Rangers, its go time. Orange Ultra Crystal, Energise!"

"Purple Ultra Crystal, Energise!"

"It's Morphin Time! Magic!"

"Generosity!"

"Laughter!"

"Triceratops!"

"Kindness!"

In seven bursts of light, the Rangers morphed into their armour. The Battle Armour of the Ultra Rangers slid onto their shoulders and Weihan smirked as he saw the creature called Discord's jaw drop open in shock. As they stood in front of the army in their gleaming suits, Weihan knew there was only one thing left to do before they began their attack. It may have been incredibly idiotic and waste precious time…but it felt right.

"Orange Ultra Ranger, Weihan!"

"Purple Ultra Ranger, Eliza!"

"Powered by the Mighty Ultra Crystal, we are the Destroyers of Evil; Ultra Rangers!"

"Purple Magic Ranger, Ready!"

"Green Generosity Ranger, Ready!"

"Pink Laughter Ranger, Ready!"

"Yellow Kindness Ranger, Ready!"

"Elements of Harmony, grant us Power! Rangers of Equestria!"

"Blue Ranger reborn! Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger!"

"Crossing dimensional walls and crushing evil, we are Power Rangers!"

A massive explosion rang out behind the assembled Rangers, greatly unnerving the assembled force including Zedd. He had heard of crossovers between Rangers and that usually spelled doom for the attacking evil. He paid it no mind as he was certain that he would crush the seven Rangers easily. Without the Red or Blue Rangers, they couldn't form whatever Megazord they had been granted and it was an extremely slim chance that these Ultra Rangers had brought along their Zords. He chuckled evilly to himself as his forces braced themselves for the upcoming battle. He would finally be victorious…

"Rangers, Attack!"

And the Rangers would die.

TBC…


	25. Primeval Discord

AN: And now…the fight begins!

Chapter 25: Primeval Discord

Whoever these new Rangers were, they were relentless.

Gilda had been taken out of the battle before she had even left the starting gate; blown back into the Everfree by a powerful fireball that seemed to have come out of nowhere. His master was attacking the bipedal Blue Ranger and was holding his own nicely. Ursaw and Firetank were fighting the remaining four Rangers and the Centaurs were…not doing much of anything, really. Ducking under two vicious swings, he guessed that they were keeping the fight nicely contained or were trying to not engage the new Rangers.

Spinning away from the energy-covered fists of the two in front of him, his mind raced to come up with a new strategy. Head on fighting wasn't going to work so maybe if he…yes, they wouldn't be expecting that. Jerking away from a kick, he spread his wings wide, noting the two Rangers backing away in apparent fear. Bending his knees, he leapt into the air and soared over the battlefield. Unsheathing his sword, he grinned wickedly as he reached the apex of his ascent. As he angled his body down, he was dimly aware of a light coming up at him. Twisting his body away at the last second, he hissed in pain as the beam grazed his left hoof. Squinting through the pain, he could just see the Orange Ranger firing up some sort of device at him while the Purple Ranger ran off to help the others. Fancy device or not, if the Ranger thought he could take him on without backup, he was sorely mistaken.

Speeding down while dodging the beams of light, he pulled his right arm back in preparation of the killing blow through the helmet visor. Closing his eyes against the rushing winds, he inhaled slowly and prepared to lash out…a split second before his mind recalled what had happened to him last time. It was too late for him to bank up and try again so he stayed on his course. A Ranger wouldn't be as brutal as Zedd had been…right? A few seconds later, he bellowed in pain as two fiery beams lanced into his outstretched arm. Crashing to the ground, he looked up to see the Ranger holstering his device and slowly walking towards his aching body. His mind raced a second time as he scrambled for another effective…yes that was the one he was looking for. Unlike the previous strategy, there was no way this could be predicted. He would have to buy some time…

"I command you to stay away from me!"

Weihan stopped in his tracks and stared at the humanoid pony creature in front of him. Princess Celestia had informed him about what Discord was and what he could theoretically do. He was surprised the former alicorn hadn't flown from the get-go; but he guessed Discord had been caught off guard after seeing his comrade be blasted away fairly quickly. Inwardly smiling, he let his arms go slack and adopted the stereotypical 'mindless zombie' slouch. One look at Discord showed that the first part of his plan was working perfectly. The only problem was that it was the _only_ part he had figured out.

From the way the former alicorn gleefully sprang off the ground and skipped around him, it was obvious he thought his mind control power was back…but scrubbing out the image of a bipedal alicorn skipping would take a while. A faint explosion behind him signalled one of the monsters had been destroyed. Which one had blown up was a mystery unless he moved his head and broke the illusion. To make matter worse, his nose started to itch. Taking even and steady breaths, he waited for the alicorn humanoid to jump for joy…and then he struck out.

"Raptor Sabre!"

Discord only had enough time to process the first few syllables before his body exploded in pain. He tried to move his eyes to assess the damage being done to him, but could only see flashes of metal and fire. A nick at the back of his knees made him crash to the ground yet again, while a searing pain in his wings told his overwhelmed brain that both wings were fractured. He opened his mouth to scream out again only to have the sound cut off by a flaming fist. A stab at the same time caused him to lose all feeling from his left elbow down, while a hard whack to the side of his head caused his half-helmet to scrape the top layer of skin away from his eyes. Bleeding from various wounds, Discord fell back and looked in fear at the Ranger in front of him.

"Leave now."

Discord blinked, unable to process what he was hearing. The Ranger that had ravaged him was telling him to leave? Sure, he was bleeding pretty heavily and couldn't grip his sword anymore but he could still fight. Why would he be encouraging his escape? As if hearing his thoughts, the Orange Ranger turned his opaque visor towards the downed warrior.

"You're heavily wounded and in pain. I'm no expert on alicorn biology but I'm guessing you're almost down for the count. Do the smart thing and leave now."

Discord nodded but balled his right fist and attempted to take a swing at the Ranger that had disrespected his fighting strength. The Ranger muttered something under his breath that caused his armour to sparkle in the light, ducked under the poorly aimed blow and struck his chest with an open palm. Instantly, Discord flew back in a world of pain. He could hear the audible snaps of bone as his ribcage collapsed and he knew he was done for. As his vision darkened, he let out a pathetic whimper of protest.

And the darkness took him.

TBC…

AN: No, he's not dead…yet.


	26. Starry Reflection

AN: Battle with Ursaw and world-building information! Enjoy!

Chapter 26: Starry Reflection

Something was wrong with her Launchers.

Twilight Sparkle frowned as she fired off another salvo of missiles from her Magic Launchers and the frown deepened as more fiery projectiles spewed forth. This wasn't right; Billy had explained their personal weapons wouldn't be able to use the elemental manipulation of the Zords but it was happening. Keeping the thought at the back of her mind, she dug in her hooves and fired one more time. Pinkie Pie and she were fighting against the Ursa-saw combination and weren't doing too well. The serrated blades on the monster meant hand-to-hoof fighting was near impossible and with her Launchers acting up…she didn't want to think about what could happen.

As soon as the battle had begun, she had found herself cornered by a few Z Centaurs. Dispatching the mindless beasts had been easy but she had left her back exposed for a second too long and the monster had sent her flying. Amusingly enough, she had passed a burnt Gilda before the unicorn's flight had been stopped by Pinkie of all ponies. The Pink Ranger had then pulled out her Boomer Blaster and had blasted the Ursa creature that had been lumbering towards the downed Ranger. After her Element Blaster didn't work, she had summoned the Magic Launchers and fired off a warning shot…but hadn't expected the missiles to react as they did. The first salvo had arced over the monster and had slammed into the beast that Fluttershy and Rarity had been fighting. The resulting blast had caught the monster off-guard and flung it deep into the Everfree, following the same trajectory as Gilda had moments earlier.

A sudden gust of air startled her and she looked around the battlefield for the source. She saw the two Ultra Rangers backing away from something before the Orange Ranger nodded to the Purple Ranger, pulled out his Raptor Laser and started firing up into the air. The Purple Ranger raced towards Twilight and jumped over the unicorn's head – delivering a powerful jump kick to the Ursa creature behind her. Nodding her thanks, Twilight whirled around and fired off another shot from her Magic Launchers while the Purple Ranger pulled out her Carno Claws. Suddenly relaxing her posture, the Purple Ranger's weapons started glowing faintly. Twilight called Pinkie over and watched the Purple Ranger go to work.

Eliza's mind raced as she neared the bear creature. When she had kicked the beast before, she had felt how dense the muscle mass was. If her Claws couldn't penetrate the skin of the beast, they would be fucked. Although the only constructs of Zedd she had fought against were the various throwaway monsters and grunts in Xonix's Moon Fortress, she was still wary of the monster in front of her. Dimitria had told her that in the dimension that she, Billy and Zedd had come from would be considered the future for her. Various Ranger teams had come and gone and more were popping up around the globe. Another difference was the lack of Xonix and the Ultra Rangers.

Dropping to the ground, the Purple Ranger slid between the monster's legs and slashed its pelvic region. Hearing its high-pitched shriek of rage and pain, she grinned to herself. The monster could feel pain and her blades could easily penetrate its defences. Rolling onto her feet, she nodded to the ponies to open fire as she mulled over what she had been told. Project Ultra had fallen flat on its face as the magic infusion of the Crystals had disconnected them from every Grid in the Universe. Whereas the Ultra Crystals of her dimension had soon generated their own Grid via the Orange Ultra Crystal and their own interconnecting links, these Ultra Crystals had cracked and were discarded in favour of the Original Power Coins.

Hearing a crash near her, Eliza turned to see Discord bounce off the ground and lay still. From the looks of the humanoid pony's body, he was heavily injured and was unconscious. Walking over to the general, she raised her Carno Claws into the air and prepared to bring them down on his prone body…when he vanished in a burst of light. Exhaling slowly, she looked up to see Weihan nod once. The Orange Ranger had summoned his Metallic Armour and had presumably used it to deliver the last blow. Lifting up his Raptor Sabre in a salute, he turned to help the Yellow and Green Rangers against the water-heater beast that had re-emerged from the forest. Returning to her thoughts, she absently battled the remaining Z Centaurs around her.

Xonix wasn't an issue in Dimitria's dimension either. A plague had killed off most of the planet within weeks and Zedd was the only survivor. From her own research into Xonix and Zedd's relationship in the Ultra Cavern, she knew the plague that was being spoken about. In her dimension, the only casualties had been the very young and very old as a cure had been found with relative ease – thanks to Xonix accessing the 'forbidden' texts of his planet. The only unknown was why Billy's Multiversal Opener had pulled her and Weihan into their dimension after scanning the insectoid beast. Well, that and why Billy seemed to have anger towards Zordon. Shrugging off the last thought, her attention returned to the battle just in time to intercept the bear monster from charging at the ponies.

"Metallic Armour, Power Up!"

With a glimmer of purple sparkles, her Metallic Armour activated and began channelling energy into the Carno Claws. Taking in a deep breath, she nodded once at the ponies behind her and motioned to their flank and shoulder cannons. If anything, they would have to defeat the creature here and now to avoid Zedd getting any ideas about making it grow. As she crouched in a runner's pose, she heard the slow hum of the charging behind her.

"Magic Launchers, Fire!"

"Boomer Blaster, Fire!"

Taking off into a dead run; Eliza's vision filled with streaks of purple fire and gracefully curving shots of pink energy as the attacks raced towards the beast. As she leapt into the air, the charged energy made the Carno Claws glow with a dazzling purple light. Not bothering to waste her breath on any fancy attack names, she brought both sickles down onto the hapless monster in an X shape a split second before the fiery projectiles hit. Flipping away from the heavily injured monster, she saw it fall over in apparent defeat. Turning around to face the Pink and Purple Equestrian Rangers, she gave them a thumbs-up before turning at a low growl. Spinning around, her jaw dropped in shock as the bear monster picked itself off the ground and took a stumbling step toward the Ranger trio.

"Mugen Blast!"

A split second after the shout, a large torrent of energy blasted the monster off its feet and juggled it and the water-heater beast in the air a few times before slamming them onto the dusty ground. Eliza looked at Weihan and saw him take his Sabre off the Raptor Cannon and strike a strange pose. As a rumble shook the ground; both monsters exploded in an orange mushroom cloud before two familiar silver spheres exploded over the burning remains.

"Aw man, this is going to be bad…"

TBC…


	27. Grudge Revealed

AN: Battle with Zedd and we dive into Billy's past.

Chapter 27: Grudge Revealed

Evenly matched, the battle seemed endless.

Whatever move he made, the accursed Ranger would counter with his own. Lord Zedd didn't want to admit it, but they were too evenly matched for either of them to break their deadlock. Taking his good hand off his staff, he swept his mane away from his visor and growled as the Blue Ranger struck his shoulder with his Lance.

"New look for you, Zedd? It suits you as a hellish freak!"

Zedd roared in response and jabbed the top of his staff into the stomach of the Blue Ranger. As the Ranger staggered back, he lifted his staff into the air and brought it down on the Ranger; only for it to be intercepted by one half of the Power Lance. The Blue Ranger had split his weapon into twin maces and the other half was desperately trying to slash at the tubes that hung off his body. The two arch-enemies had begun their battle at the edge of the Everfree Forest but had progressed deep inside, even passing by Zecora's hut while the zebra huddled inside. They were so engrossed in their fight that they didn't even blink as Gilda crashed against a tree trunk near them; nor when the water-heater creature slammed on top of the humanoid griffon.

"Why must you battle against me, Ranger? Why oppose my rule? I will be a just ruler."

"Yeah, just. You'll 'just' destroy all life on the planet!"

Billy twirled both halves of his Lance and charged the heads with power. He didn't know how Weihan had recharged his Morpher but whatever had been done allowed him to easily shift the Power to where it was needed. His internal Wolf Spirit Animal welcomed the added power and had somehow managed to re-establish the link to his own Metallic Armour. He wouldn't use it just yet as he didn't know how much of the stored energy it would use up. If Zedd thought he could rule as a just leader, he was dreaming. No matter what position the alien held, he would use it to extend his bloodthirsty campaign to destroy all life everywhere. Jerking his body aside to avoid a crushing blow, he retaliated with a slash of his own; grinning as the blades raked across the fleshman's chest.

"Pathetic insect, I have more power than you can ever imagine! Fear me!"

Billy rolled his eyes in contempt and ducked low to the ground. Sweeping his lance in a wide motion, he knocked Zedd off his feet and stood over him, Power Lance poised over Zedd's transformed face. Somehow, the new equine nature of Zedd made his silver mask seem more haunting. Drawing in a deep breath, he pulled the weapon back and prepared to end Zedd's existence. Suddenly, the dark Lord sprang up and covered the face of his helmet with an outstretched hand. Billy dropped his Lance in shock and struggled to pull Zedd's hand off his helmet.

"Now Ranger, time to see the skeletons in your closet…"

Billy felt a strange energy pierce his mind and he screamed in protest as the dark memories he had buried for so long started to bubble up to the surface.

Flashback

"_Billy, they will be here any second now. Cestro has repaired your morpher and you will be able to fight but I…"_

"_Cestria, you mustn't go out there! Divatox will be relentless and will not stop at anything!"_

_End Flashback_

Billy struggled in horror as the memories of that day welled up past his defences. Trying to block the memories in vain, he continued struggling as Zedd laughed above him.

Flashback

_Billy tried everything to stop his wife from aiding the Aquitian Rangers. Dark Spectre had declared war on all Rangers and had sent Divatox to wipe out Aquitar. From the scant reports that he had heard from the Command Post, most of the Good aligned planets had fallen. The only planets that hadn't fallen just yet were Triforia, Aquitar and Earth. He knew his friends were fighting on Earth, powers or not and would possibly be aiding the Space Rangers or trying to sneak onto the Dark Fortress to free Zordon._

"_Billy, please understand. Aquitar is dying from Divatox's attack. She has resumed where the Hydro Contaminators left off and something must be done to stop her!"_

_Billy gripped his repaired Morpher tightly and slumped his shoulders. The Aquitian Rangers had barely beaten back the first wave of attacks and were preparing for the second surge. Zordon, in a moment of extraordinary foresight, had transferred the Shogunzords to Aquitar so the Alien Rangers did not have to always rely on their Battle Borgs. Turning to Cestria, he nodded once._

"_At least rest for tonight. Tomorrow, we will go out together."_

_End Flashback_

"Get out of my mind, Zedd!"

Zedd chuckled under his breath and continued to plumb the depths of the Blue Ranger's memory. This would be a great learning experience for him indeed. Sensing a presence above him, he flicked his eyes to the sky to see Discord flying up in the distance as lasers were shot from the ground. Shaking his head, he applied more power to the Blue Ranger and settled back to watch the show.

Flashback

_Billy raced through the undergrowth in a panic. Cestria had slipped out during the night and he had woken up alone. He had grabbed his Morpher and run out into the Aquitian Wilds, fully morphed. Up ahead, he could hear sounds of battle and knew that the Alien Rangers had engaged the second wave of Divatox's. Pulling out his Blade Blaster, he checked his Power meter and winced. At the rate he was going, he wouldn't last long at all. To make matters worse, Ecliptor had appeared in the sky to say that Astronema had become the Queen of Evil. Taking aim through the bushes, he fired off a warning shot before crashing through the leaves…and running into a Piranhatron. Swiftly converting his weapon into its blade form, he slashed at the fish warrior and watched it fall to the ground. Turning around to retreat, he swallowed hard as he saw more around him._

_Suddenly, the lead Piranhatron fell over as it was slashed from behind. More and more warriors fell as an invisible assailant disabled them from an unseen point. Soon, Billy was alone in the middle of a ring of defeated grunts. He stifled a yelp as he was grabbed from behind by a pair of very familiar arms. Turning around, he saw his wife in her Warrior's uniform and shook his head._

"_You could have waited for me."_

_Cestria laughed under her mask and shrugged dismissively. She had just seen the Aquitian Rangers captured by Divatox and was heading back to the Command Post to warn the remaining fighters there. If the situation worsened, they would have to send out the Shogunzords._

"_Come on, Billy. Let's get out of here."_

_Nodding in agreement, he turned to leave when a volley of lasers ripped out of the bushes around them. As he fell to the ground due to the impacts, his suit flickered once before vanishing entirely. He cried out in anguish as the lasers flew over his head and continued to strike his wife. The lightly armoured uniform did not last long under the barrage and was quickly destroyed, leaving the Aquitian woman defenceless against the ravaging assault. As it finally came to an end, Cestria crumpled to the ground and lay, deathly still._

"_Ha! Got that one good!"_

_Billy's teeth ground together as the blue armour of Divatox's warrior Rygog came into view. The mutant lowered a smoking blaster and chuckled at his handiwork. With an inarticulate scream of rage and pain, Billy launched himself at the warrior but was knocked away within seconds. The mutant loomed over him and raised the blaster once more before freezing as a golden light rushed through him. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Billy crawled over to Cestria and turned her over onto her back and felt his heart sink at the sight. The Aquitian's body was badly wounded and he knew she did not have long left. She shakily raised a hand to him and he held it to his cheek._

"_Billy…this is it for me. I don't regret anything. I…I love you…"_

"_No, don't speak Cestria. I'll get you help."_

_She shook her head and smiled. Light blue blood leaked out of the side of her mouth and she closed her eyes for the last time. As her body relaxed, a second wave of golden light washed over him and he felt a familiar presence behind him._

_**Billy, I am so sorry for your loss.**_

_Zordon…he had sacrificed his life to save the universe. Wiping away the tears that threatened to spill down his face, the Blue Ranger looked at his mentor's life essence._

"_Bring her back, Zordon. I know you can do it!"_

_**I cannot. What was taken away cannot be brought back so easily. You must accept this.**_

_End Flashback_

So that was how it had happened…Zordon had abandoned his chosen in need and that decision had coloured the mood of the Blue Ranger; leading up to his eventual departure from the dimension. Releasing his magical grip on the Ranger, Zedd growled under his breath as he sensed the destruction of Ursaw and Firetank. Summoning two classic Growth Grenades, he threw them in their general direction and leered at the Ranger. His voice was rough and contemptuous.

"I have won this battle, Ranger. I pray you will get stronger for our next encounter"

TBC…


	28. Infinite

AN: For those who don't know, Mugen is Japanese for infinite. Enjoy!

Chapter 28: Infinite

He wasn't dead, but he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Turning away from the prone body of Discord, Weihan surveyed the battlefield while chuckling to himself. Summoning the Metallic Armour had been a stroke of genius considering Discord didn't look like he was giving up anytime soon. Seeing how it allowed him to break free of the restraints the first time he had used it, he guessed it would be his trump card against his stronger opponent. Then again, he had caught the humanoid off guard by pretending to be under his spell…he would figure it out later. Spotting the Yellow Ranger being launched into the air by the walking water-heater, he ran towards the battle; jumping into the air to catch the falling Pegasus and set her gently onto the ground.

"Th-Thank you for the help."

He nodded once at Fluttershy and looked up at the monster. The Green Ranger had her flank cannon summoned and was blasting the monster…which did something peculiar. As the strangely watery blasts slammed against the monster, it seemed to suck up the energy with its vacuum arm while charging the machinegun with…green…oh shit. There wasn't any time for calling out warnings. Running full speed towards the battle, Weihan reached out and pushed the Green Ranger away from the monster's line of sight. Mere moments later, a stream of green energy sliced the air where she had been moments before. The energy slammed into the Raptor Sabre and, with great difficulty, the Orange Ranger managed to reflect it back to the source. Watching with great interest, he saw that it was unable to absorb its own energy and fell back as sparks erupted from its body.

"You could have just yelled something. My uniform is all dirty now."

Sharing a look with Fluttershy, Weihan had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud. Trust Rarity to be more concerned with looks than the monster. He knew the Green Ranger always had her mind on the task at hand but rolled his eyes at her words. Looking at the two ponies, he asked them to deal with the remaining Z Centaurs while he took care of the monster. As the two Rangers nodded, he felt a slight weight lift off his shoulders on the knowledge that Fluttershy wasn't going to fight the demented water-heater. He knew she could easily take care of herself…yet something about her just set off his protective instincts. Watching them head towards a small group of Centaurs; he turned back to the monster and activated his scanners.

Pulling out his Raptor Cannon, he fired a few blasts at the monster and waited to confirm his hypothesis. As thought, the monster sucked up the energy shot at it and blasted it back in the form of a powerful laser. Shooting off fireballs seemed to have that same effect although he noticed that the monster started to spark sooner when attempting to suck up a continuous stream of fire. Glancing at his Raptor Cannon, a crazy idea began to form in his head and he grinned maniacally as it all clicked together nicely. Re-summoning his Raptor Sabre, he dove out of the way of a returned fire blast and slid his Sabre over the top of his Cannon. As his Raptor Launcher began charging, he madly accessed the various menus and sub-menus in his HUD before he decided on an option.

[Release Safety?]

His smile broadened at that option and he felt new information enter his brain. He would have to brace himself a damn lot to handle to recoil and would have to concentrate to ensure the blast didn't wipe them all out. Also in the equation was the thought that with a single second of lost concentration, he could theoretically strip himself and the rest of the Ultra Rangers of power…well, until his Crystal recharged. In around seven thousand years barring any external assistance.

"Metallic Armour, Power Up!"

Raising his head at the shout, his eyes zeroed in on where Eliza was battling the other monster with the Equestrian Rangers. The Pink and Purple Rangers were firing their flank and shoulder blasters while Eliza charged up her Carno Claws for an X shaped slash. Jumping over the water-heater creature, Weihan made his selection and braced himself against the trunk of a nearby tree. If he calculated right; this would be very bad for the monster. Searching his mind for the perfect attack name, he felt the words form and spill out of his mouth.

"Mugen Blast!"

Squeezing the trigger, he felt the tree behind him crack at the force of the blast. Concentrating his energy on the stream, he saw it blast into the scared monster – who tried in vain to absorb the energy as its vacuum arm literally melted off. After a few milliseconds, it lost its battle to stay on its feet and was blasted into the air; slamming into the other monster before exploding with a large orange mushroom cloud. Dismantling his Raptor Launcher, Weihan slumped against the tree but stumbled forward as it creaked ominously behind him. As he edged away from the tree, he saw two silver spheres fall out of the sky and his eyes widened in recognition. Lifting up his Raptor Cannon, he fired off a few shots in vain as the spheres exploded above the monsters.

"Aw man, this is going to be bad…"

Nodding to himself at Eliza's words, he spun around as Billy came rushing out of the forest. From the way the Blue Ranger moved, he looked fine…but there was still something off. Shaking his head once, Weihan looked at the two monsters above him and noted that the psychotic water-heater's arm hadn't been restored.

"Billy, do you have a working Zord?"

The Blue Ranger shook his head and Weihan nodded in reply. Billy would have to teleport back to the Command Tower to co-ordinate the battle. Before he could leave, Weihan placed a hand on the other Ranger's shoulder and silently checked for damage. Satisfied that the infusion was holding steadily, he took his hand away and motioned that he leave the battlefield. As Billy vanished in a streak of blue, Weihan looked at the Purple Magic Ranger expectantly.

"Twilight, you're the leader here. What do you want us to do?"

The purple Unicorn looked at the Orange Ranger in shock. She knew how hard it was for him to defer leadership to her, but as she was the leader of her team and it was her turf…Nodding in reply, she swallowed hard at the prospect of defeating the monsters without the help of Applejack and Rainbow Dash but realised that there were two other Rangers that could help them. Lifting her front right hoof into the air, she saw the others do the same while the Ultra Rangers watched on from the sidelines.

"We need Harmonyzord Power, Now!"

As the four mechanical horses thundered to the battle scene, Weihan took a few moments to marvel at them before raising his right hand into the air, while shouting out the command.

"We need Dinozord Power, Now!"

TBC…


	29. Returning Favour

AN: And the Rangers see the Dinozords in action!

Chapter 29: Returning Favour

Whatever Weihan had done, it had done the trick.

Fluttershy ground her teeth together as her Zord fired off four more razor wind crescents. The winds didn't seem to do a lot of damage but judging from the cuts that were starting to appear on the Ursa's hide; they were slowly taking effect. Biting back a squeak of surprise, she angled the machine to fly up and grazed its chest with one of the wings. Rolling through the air, she tapped the controls for the lasers and blasted the Ursa with everything she had. Weihan had declared the strange metal creature off limits to all of them and was savagely ripping into it with his Dinozord. She felt sickened by the animalistic attack but Weihan had explained to them the nature of the Ultra Dinozords was to attack as brutally as possible…which explained what the other Dinozord was doing.

Jerking the Carnotaurus Dinozord's head up, Eliza ripped a large strip of flesh from the bear monster's back. From the sounds coming from the ponies, she knew that she was maybe taking things a bit too far…but as this was her first time in the cockpit; she had to milk the experience for as long as she could. Rearing back, she lunged again but jumped back as the wounded monster slapped the air in front of her Zord. Before she could retaliate again, streams of ice, wind, magic and…pies…streaked past her and impacted against the furry hide of the monster. Doing a double take at the pies, she slowly turned to look behind her and groaned out loud.

Honestly, she didn't know where the pies were coming from. All she had done was to press the trigger for her lasers and the next thing she knew; cream pies were flying out! She wondered what would come out the next time her lasers fired…perhaps writer's block. Then again, it would be better to blast through writer's block than shoot it out as shooting it out would mean that it could theoretically pass through the screen and fly straight into the minds of the readers. Wait…why would there be readers watching the battle? They would be reading it in a newspaper but it would be at the end of the battle when they won. The Pink Ranger tentatively pressed her hoof onto the trigger again and blinked in surprise as spaghetti streamed out. Well, Billy _did _say her Zord was random…

"Raptor Warriorzord Transformation!"

All heads turned to see the Utahraptor Dinozord transforming into a bipedal Warriorzord. Mouths gaped open at the power exuded by the machine and the water-heater monster took an involuntary step back in fear. Settling into a ready stance for about three seconds, the Warriorzord ripped into the off-guard monster. Shrapnel flew everywhere as a powerful drill punch went straight through the monster and emerged from the other side. Inside the cockpit, Weihan's mind raced for a good way to end the fight. Theoretically he could destroy both monsters with a Fire Cataclysm but the damage to the surrounding areas would be extreme. On the other hand, if he could somehow launch both monsters into the air; they could be destroyed with little or no damage to the Forest.

"Girls, I have a plan for destroying these monsters but it's going to take all of us to do it."

Retreating from the Ursa, the four Harmonyzords stood in a line and charged up their Megabusters. Eliza kept the creature busy; while at the same time, charging up her maw beam. Jerking on the control stick, Weihan stabbed the water-heater thing against and threw it high into the air. He was going to have to work fast to pull it off.

"Now!"

Four powerful streams of light blasted from the emblems on the Harmonyzords' chests and impacted against the ground in front of the Ursa. The shockwave from the impacts launched the monster into the air; colliding with the water-heater on the way up. As the Harmonyzords stopped firing, Eliza angled the mouth of the Carnotaurus up under the monsters and fired her maw beam. The purple energy lanced through the monsters and a strange energy vortex formed above them.

"Guys, something's happening near you…be careful!"

Weihan nodded at Billy's warning and scanned the vortex. He didn't know where it led but if it was a way home, he would take it without hesitation. Acting on impulse, he temporarily connected the Carnotaurus' controls to his own and leapt up into the air. As both Dinozords flew up towards the monsters and the vortex, he saw a strange sight in his mind's eye. A Warriorzord, similar to his, was flying full throttle towards a monstrous Iguanodon while a Megazord destroyed a freaky Kamen Rider styled monster. If they timed their finishers at the right moment…

"Fire Cataclysm!"

The tail arm transformed into the Chain Whip and struck the two falling monsters with the force of a freight train, engulfing them in a large explosion. On the ground, the Rangers looked on in horror as they tried to raise their new friends on the radios…but kept receiving static. Fluttershy crumpled to the ground and started to tear up at the thought of both Rangers dying in the explosion but before she could start to cry, a familiar voice ripped through their speakers; filling them with renewed hope.

"Lightnin' Kick!"

Out of the fireball flew a winged Warriorzord coloured red and blue. One of its legs was extended and was striking against a saurian beast. Lightning crackled around the appendage as the Warriorzord flipped away from the monster; flying only a few meters before the apparent monster exploded in an earth-shaking explosion. As the light cleared from their eyes, Twilight pressed the communication button, hardly daring to hope.

"Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Are you two in there?"

"Howdy, Twilight! Boy, have we got stories to tell you!"

TBC… 

AN2: Yes, the Ultra Rangers have left physically but Billy still has the communicator…


	30. Stirring

AN: A future character stirs from her long slumber…and 30 chapters already. Something tells me this will rival The Ultra Crystals for length…

Chapter 30: Stirring

How long had it been since she breathed?

The air tasted older. Much older than the last breath she had taken. The ground had changed as well. Deinos Terra Firma was the same rugged and rough area as it had been but…where was she? She had led her forces here together with her and they had attacked the Destroyer and his servant. His servant, who she had seen transform and twist his features, was nowhere to be seen. The unicorn who wasn't had seemingly vanished…but she had only closed her eyes for a second to shield her eyes from the dazzling beam produced by…him. She couldn't remember his name but knew he was dangerous for all ponies. He twisted their minds and made them into his servants for his sick and warped desires.

Discord. That was his name. The scourge of Equestria had ravaged her homeland and turned it into a burning wasteland. Her friend had helped her pick up the pieces last time and would surely do so again. She shook her head, allowing her black mane to settle on her dark red coat. Even if her friend could help her get onto her feet again…would she? She only remembered vague images and flashes of…something. A great battle with ponies of all species' attacking each other and the screams of both dying and dead. If she concentrated hard enough, she could feel the crunch of bone beneath her bright yellow hooves and taste the blood as it dripped off her horn…

Horn? She didn't have a horn. She was born an Earth Pony and horns were for Unicorns or Alicorns. She snorted under her breath and struggled to open her eyes. The first thing she focused on was the large cracks in the walls. Cracks that were large enough for sunlight to stream in from outside. Cracks…that led to a large hole in the wall…

Not good. If the walls were broken then Discord would escape! She sighed as she realised Discord had probably long since left the prison; yet her friend had guaranteed the walls were impenetrable. Only one with a stronger magic could breach the walls and destroy them. The servant…Night Shade…presumably he could have sprung his Master free but she had seen him vanish into a strange whirling mass of colour. That had been during the several seconds that she could see before…something had happened. What was it? She tried to concentrate on what she could remember.

Flashback

"_I'll hold him! Now!"_

"_No, I can't! You'll…no!"_

"_You must! For the future! Do it now, Celestia!"_

_End Flashback_

Celestia…yes that was her friend's name. Princess Celestia the ruler of all Equestria who resided in Canterlot Castle on the continent of Equestria. She was a lone monarch who had been forced to banish her sister to the moon when she had been corrupted by the evil of Nightmare Moon. The means that her friend had achieved this mighty feat were the…the…Elements of Harmony; the manifestations of the strongest magic in the entire world. The same magic she had used to seal Discord in this stone prison and…and encase her as well. She had wanted it…hadn't she? She had been…been…she had to remember…

Flashback

_Blood spurted from a deep gash in the pony's side. The wound had been caused by a brainwashed member of the Odd Order; Discord's finest soldiers. She whinnied in pain as the fresh dressing was applied…but she knew she was not long for the world. She had to see Discord overthrown…for her parents and her brother. Forcing herself to stand on her tortured hooves, she staggered forward and threw open the heavy wooden doors that led to the inner sanctum._

"_You! You should be dead!"_

_End flashback_

Injured…her head turned to look at her flank and her eyes widened as there was no trace of the injury – not even a scar.

"What sorcery is this?"

She blinked at the voice that came out of her mouth. It wasn't the soft and melodious tone she had grown up with. Instead it seemed…twisted. Hateful and harsh; as if it was attacking the world with all of its might. Blinking away her shock, she shook her head and closed her eyes.

It wasn't time to awaken yet anyway…

TBC…


	31. Morning Musings

AN: Blackish Purple cloud explanation = The Ultra Crystals chapter Da'Lana.

Chapter 31: Morning Musings

She wearily blinked up at the ceiling and smiled.

Applejack rubbed her eyes with a front hoof and looked out the window to Sweet Apple Acres. It was extremely good to be able to walk outside and see the sun shining down on the lands and breathe in the sweet unpolluted air. Sure, being stuck in the other dimension for a few weeks was an interesting experience but even watching Rainbow Dash soar through the air got a little tiring after a while. Stretching the kinks out of her hooves and back, she hopped off her bed and thought about the previous day. Had it really been a day ago that she was stuck on the other side of the dimensional wall with no way of coming back? It seemed like a lifetime ago.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she grinned as she realised she was up before anypony else…as usual. Billy had contacted the Orange Ranger and he had suggested a debriefing session with all the Rangers. She had also explained to him the upgrades that had been done to the cannons, alleviating the concerns of Twilight who had thought there was something wrong with her weapons. The changes in the Zords had also been explained as being done by the Orange Ranger on the sub-dimensional mould or something like that. Truthfully, all the mechanics went over her head most of the time. Probably the only one of them who knew how everything worked was Billy and maybe the Princesses.

Silently making her way outside, she reflected on the mighty army of Zords that had been summoned to face the two monsters. While the Dinozords may have been brutally overpowering; she could see why they were needed. It seemed that Zedd's monsters didn't even have half the punch of Xonix's but she had a strange feeling it was going to change. Parascythe was the first real wake-up call they had received in terms of strong monsters. Billy hadn't even begun to identify the metal that had cut through their suits so easily but she had a feeling he would get right on that with some dimensional assistance. He was also preoccupied with some sort of scan he had taken during the previous battle and hadn't said much of anything to anyone. Now that she thought about it, the only interest he had expressed in hearing about her experiences had to do with his dimensional counterpart.

As she started her morning chores, Applejack frowned at the thought of the people she had left behind in the other world. True, they were the dimension's Rangers but they had welcomed Rainbow Dash and her into their group as fellow Rangers…and as friends. She hated the fact that they had left without saying their goodbyes but it had been in the heat of battle and Rachelle had said she wished they could get home safely…but that wasn't really the same as a proper goodbye. She hoped she could do something for the Rangers left behind but there was pretty much nothing she could do at this moment.

"Ranger all alone…"

She jerked her head up at the voice and turned around slowly. Standing in front of her was Discord, but the humanoid pony looked very much worse for wear. There were deep cuts and burns all over his body and the metal half-helmet on his head was nowhere to be seen – exposing a gruesome looking hole where a unicorn's horn would be. She controlled her breathing and summoned her Element Morpher in a flash of light. Literally half a second later, she found herself stumbling back as a blackish purple bolt shot from her Element Crystal and struck the injured warrior head on.

"What? No, it isn't possible…"

As the being staggered back, Applejack inhaled slowly and channelled…something…into her hind legs. Leaping at Discord, she turned mid-air and lashed out with her hooves. Her charged buck connected with his chest and sent him flying off into the farthest reaches of the Apple orchard. Breathing heavily, she looked back at the house with a worried look. She needed to teleport to the Command Tower but Discord would still be on the loose.

She just hoped that he was down for the count…

TBC…


	32. Night Shade

AN: Mini explanation of ponified Xonix can be found in TUC Chapter 106: Musings. Enjoy!

Chapter 32: Night Shade

After all this time, he was alive.

Night Shade, his most feared warrior, was alive. Discord didn't know what surprised him the most: that he was alive after being hit with the splash of the Elements of Harmony…or that Night Shade wasn't his real name. Nightmares abound, he hadn't even been a unicorn to begin with! He didn't even know why he had been drawn to the Red Ranger's location so early in the morning as he was still recovering after the fierce attack by the other Ranger. He shook his head tiredly and lay back against the splinters of what had once been an apple tree. Night Shade…was really Xonix. A dimensional counterpart of his Master's deceased brother and a shape-shifter to boot. He recalled the moment where he had taken in what he thought was a young unicorn and moulded him into his perfect general.

Flashback

_He ducked his head low and pulled the cloak tighter around himself. Celestia's guards were on the lookout for him and he had to be out of Canterlot within the hour. Gusts of icy wind whipped at his green streaked black mane and he scowled as a crude image of himself caught his eye. Ducking into a nearby alley, he opened his cloak and looked down at the breastplate he had managed to pilfer from one of the Royal Guards. The hapless pony wouldn't be needing it anymore and the bloodstains on it would further his growing reputation. A weapon would be next, perhaps two so he would always have a backup if needed. Maybe he could alter the shoulder pads to include something horribly macabre. He would have to think about it._

_A sound behind him made him spin around. Squinting in the dim light, he channelled magic into his horn and lit up the alley. He was aware that he was drawing attention to himself; but he could always drop down to all fours to pass off as a regular unicorn. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the pony that had made the sound. It was an inky black unicorn with a yellow and white streaked mane. The Cutie Mark on its flank was that of a strangely shrouded moon; maybe it was a remnant of the forces that had aided Nightmare Moon? That was all but impossible as Celestia had driven them to suicide._

"_Who are you?"_

_He blinked at the voice coming from the unicorn. It sounded oddly hissing; as if it was a voice a snake would make but it carried a tone of a being that had literally seen almost everything the world had to offer and then some. Discord was torn. On one hand; whoever this unicorn was could potentially make him into a bigger and much more viable threat. He would have some muscle to keep the masses in line so they would cement their loyalty to him and overthrow the Princess of the Sun. If this unicorn failed in the task, he would kill him in front of the masses to achieve the same result. It was pure genius…_

_On the other hoof, there was no telling who the unicorn was working for. If he was an agent of Celestia's, he was screwed and would be moving forward his defeat by a matter of years. There was also the issue of the unicorn overthrowing him from his seat of Power. If that happened, he would be at square one and would have to fight on two fronts. The next few minutes would determine which of these paths his destiny was._

"_My name is Discord. I seek to overthrow the tyrannical rule of Princess Celestia. Help me or die here."_

_The unicorn nodded gravely and Discord could see the wealth of experience in his eyes._

"_I will assist you. My name is…Night Shade."_

_End Flashback_

Of course, the moulding process hadn't been an easy one. Night Shade had possessed an uncanny knack for recruitment and weeding out any potential problems. The ones that were weeded out were transformed into training dummies or food within seconds and he had wondered how it could be done. As the magic from before sunk into his brain, Discord knew how the impossible had happened. Magic, powerful magic that surpassed his own talents...and that eclipsed his Master's. If he were a betting pony, he would bet his life that was how Night Shade, no - Xonix, had been able to see what was coming next. As he picked himself up from the grassy ground, the humanoid alicorn rubbed his head and thought back to just after his proclaiming of the move to Deinos Terra Firma. Night Shade had openly challenged his decision but he hadn't cared for that opinion.

Flashback

"_Discord, we should make our stand here."_

_It wasn't said with any malice or heat, but Discord could feel the underlying tone within. He sighed and ruffled the unicorn's mane. Night Shade had so much to learn about how things were done in Equestria and he was slowly losing patience with his eccentricities. Maybe the unicorn had too much responsibility as he had stated that Shining Light was a threat to the stability of the entire movement. On the other hoof, he hadn't said anything much since the fall of Celestia and the sacking of Canterlot._

"_Night Shade, you are one of my most trusted comrades. We must move to Deinos Terra Firma as it is an area much better suited for our needs. The armies have rested lavishly here and have grown fat and lazy. The populace have grown complacent in our rule so we need to leave in order for them to truly fear us again."_

_The unicorn rolled his eyes and he barely suppressed a sigh of annoyance. Standing up from his Throne of Bone, he walked over to the window overlooking the hedge maze and rolled his shoulders. The skulls lightly clicked against the bronze breast-plate and he lightly smiled. Rolling Thunder and Gemstone the Great had 'generously' donated their skulls for his armour and their bones for his throne._

"_Night Shade, this is my decision and I will not budge from it. We are moving to Deinos Terra Firma."_

_End Flashback_

In hindsight, he wished he had listened. Shining Light had gone AWOL as predicted and the move to the barren land had meant the deaths of many warriors. On the other hand; they had dishonoured him by becoming fat and lazy in the first place…and their fat _had_ made a warm mattress during the cold nights. Shaking his head once more, he limped in the direction of the Everfree Forest. He needed to rest, heal and rethink his strategy.

And tomorrow _was_ another day…

TBC…


	33. Looming Dusk

Disclaimer: Yup, everything here is still not mine. If it were mine, I would make the Flim Flam brothers song less of an earworm…

Chapter 33: Looming Dusk

"These scans don't make any sense."

Billy rubbed his eyes and peered at the readings again. The global scanners had been brought online a few minutes ago and already they were having problems. He looked over his shoulder to where the Princess of the Night was peering at the wiring and at the manual Weihan had left behind. The formerly evil Princess had discovered a knack for seeing the strangely complex and convoluted patterns of circuit diagrams and wiring. She had already pretty much memorised the controls in the Command Tower and most of the Zord controls. She knew that without a Power Morpher, she couldn't pilot any of them; still, it was nice to dream once in a while. At his words, Princess Luna squinted at the manual again.

"It should make sense. These scanners are…well, they're designed to work 'right out of the box'...whatever the 'box' is. What's the problem?"

The Blue Ranger cracked his neck and sighed.

"You'll think I'm crazy. There's some sort of energy disturbance on Deinos Terra Firma. I seriously doubt it's Discord or even Zedd…but it's strong, whatever it is. Strong…and old."

Luna frowned as Billy turned back to the scans. Her sister was just about to raise the sun to start another day and she had lowered the moon about thirty minutes ago. Still, she couldn't help but think of what sort of energy would be on Deinos Terra Firma now that Discord had escaped. From what Celestia had told her of the time after her imprisonment, there would only be one sure source of the energy disturbance; Discord's right hoof pony: Night Shade. From what Celestia had seen after the imprisonment, the treacherous unicorn was nowhere to be found and her sister wasn't going to shatter the prison the Elements had created just to check inside. She had some doubts about it as there was still that strange prophecy about some darkness being defeated by an Accepted soul. What that meant, she had no idea but she was willing to bet that they would find out soon. She opened her mouth to reply to Billy's statement when a sly thought occurred to her.

"Rip van Winkle? What's he doing here?"

Billy shook his head but a chuckle escaped from his lips at Luna's random comment. Reaching a hand behind his back, he smiled to himself as he felt the familiar weight of his Power Morpher as it materialised from its sub-dimension. Now that he had his Powers back, no matter how temporary, he could be of better use to the Rangers. He could teleport to the location and scout it out himself and would morph for added protection. The Princesses wouldn't have to lift a hoof or set hoof outside Canterlot or even Equestria. As the sun rose outside, he pulled his hand back and turned to face the dark blue alicorn.

"Whatever you're thinking, stop now."

He blinked at the stern tone behind him and sighed softly. He should have known Princess Celestia would come to the Command Tower right after raising the sun. While she wasn't as tech-savvy as her sister seemed to be, she would have seen the energy scans and made a connection almost instantly with his intentions. Turning around, he saw the white alicorn slowly shake her head. Trotting up to the reinstated Ranger, she bumped her nose on his cheek and fixed on him with a slowly defrosting gaze.

"Billy, you are much too valuable to us to go off on your own. I will accompany you on your journey but we will leave in four days."

At the start of his protest, she held up a hoof. While the monarch understood where Billy was coming from; the truth was she had an idea of what that energy was herself. It wasn't a remnant of Discord and it certainly wasn't Night Shade. It was…somepony she once cared for a great deal; one who had seemingly sacrificed everything for peace's sake. She would need the four days to personally steel herself for whatever memories were stirred up; especially if the source of the disturbance was…no, the source wouldn't be her. Even though she had somehow communicated past the seemingly impenetrable barrier…she wouldn't be the source. Still, she would find out for sure in a few days.

"When is the full debrief scheduled to occur?"

Blinking at the sudden topic shift, Billy looked to the communicator that was still lying on top of the Communications Station. As the Ultra Rangers had left rather abruptly, they hadn't gotten the chance to reclaim their communicator. So far, Billy had resisted taking it apart and studying its internals as it was their only one…well, until the Orange Ranger sent over another one somehow. The only communication they had sent was a few minutes after the battle had ended saying their Rangers were back in their own dimension safe and sound and asking for a full debrief to be held. After agreeing to it, the time had been set for 10am…which was in a few hours.

"Ten. There are a few more hours until then. I doubt anyone's going to be up at this hour…"

His sentence trailed off as a red streak entered the Command Tower; materialising into a frightened Applejack. The Red Ranger looked wildly around and didn't seem to see Billy nor the two alicorns. Instead, she galloped to one of the local scanning stations and cycled through the locations before settling on one overlooking a far section of Sweet Apple Acres. Her green eyes roved the images quickly and she relaxed noticeably upon not seeing anything out of the ordinary. Turning around, she let out a small yelp of surprise in seeing the trio but sagged to the floor in exhaustion.

"I was attacked by Discord…"

TBC…


	34. Energy Readings

AN: Take two...

Chapter 34: Energy Readings

"You were attacked by Discord? When? What happened?"

Applejack glanced at the asker and sighed wearily. She didn't want to relive the experience again as she was trying to put it behind her. Land's sakes, she had gone over every single square inch of her Element Morpher with Billy had she still had no idea where the strange blackish cloud had come from! It was as if it had been absorbed from somewhere or someone had pinged her with it…

"Rainbow, Ah've been over this with Billy and the Princesses for the past few hours. Discord caught me unawares an' Ah only managed ta summon my Morpher before somethin' strange happened. Ah bucked him into a far corner and he's gone now. Don't worry so much."

Rainbow Dash let out a grunt of protest before hovering down to the Red Ranger. She had raced to the Command Tower as soon as she had heard the news that Applejack had been attacked. She told everyone it was for concern of her friend but in reality…in reality it was because her heart had clenched painfully at the thought of not seeing her or telling her. Shaking her head slightly, she slung a leg around the shoulders of the Red Ranger and leant in as a sign of friendship. As the Red Ranger sighed again, the Blue Ranger looked to where the other Blue Ranger was setting up for the requested debrief.

"Scan, scan, scan…where's the scans of the monster? He needs to see them…"

Billy was starting to feel the effects of the past few hours. After Applejack's dynamic entry and ominous message, he had thrown himself in ensuring Sweet Apple Acres was protected from all other incursions by the enemy. Of course, that meant that he had to secure the other places of residence for the other Rangers. That didn't leave much time for the debrief preparation; especially the other worrying scan that had caught his eye. Scans taken during the previous battle had indicated that the monster was getting its power from something or someone more powerful than Lord Zedd. The thought of a Dark Spectre-like entity awakening to assist Zedd was an extreme worry to him. It would mean recruiting more Rangers…except as far as he knew, there were only six Elements of Harmony.

"Are these the scans? How are you going to send them over?"

Billy turned and plucked the printouts from the baby dragon's claws. Spike was becoming more familiar with the system and was gaining great spatial awareness. He had refrained from taking the Dragon Jet out in the last battle as he wasn't confident in his aim. It was one thing to shoot fire from your own mouth and know it would hit its target; it was an entirely different thing to fire a projectile weapon from a moving platform and not know what the effects would be. Nodding at Spike's question, he flicked through the pages and tapped some keys to bring up the original scan…just in case he needed to send it over. Which, of course, led him to the next issue.

"Not really sure how to send it over. Just send it and hope for the best, I guess."

As the dragon chuckled at the remark, Billy looked around the Command Tower. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Twilight were talking to Applejack and helping her recover from the morning's events, Rarity was keeping a close eye on the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Pinkie Pie was…somewhere. He wasn't sure but he didn't think she had the power to break through dimensions…yet. He was still repairing the damage done to the load-bearing fourth wall in the Zord Hangar.

"Ultra Cavern to Command Tower, Ultra Cavern to Command Tower. Billy, do you read?

Rushing to the communicator, Billy pressed the button to begin the communication. As per usual, there weren't any images as they couldn't really be transmitted through dimensional walls as easily as radio waves…or something like that. He was sure that the technology existed on Eltare…but Eltare was equated with Zordon and…he suppressed those thoughts and images as they began to worm out of the cracks in his mind. He would deal with those images and feelings later.

"Command Tower to Ultra Cavern. We're all good on our side. Um…how do we proceed?"

A slight chuckle on the other end alleviated his fears and concerns as the Orange Ranger began speaking.

"All right. For those who don't know me, my name is Weihan Liang and I am the Orange Ultra Ranger. I'm guessing the only ponies who don't know me would be the Red and Blue Rangers. Unfortunately, images can't be transmitted through dimensional barriers using the communicators so they can't see my handsome face…ow!"

All of the ponies stifled laughs and Billy shook his head in exasperation. When the Orange Ranger's voice returned, he seemed slightly less jovial than before.

"All right, as I was about to say before I was so rudely attacked; we are working on a way to create a door between dimensions so we can cross over to you guys if you need the help. Since Xonix powered the Iguanodon monster with his energy, he's down for the count for a few months at the most so there's plenty of time to work on that. Well, there will be once we return from Phaedos. I have a strange feeling we'll need the Ninjetti Power boost."

"Wait, can that be done? I have the Multiversal Opener here; can't we use that?"

Billy looked to the far side of the Command Tower where the Multiversal Opener sat behind a thick pane of glass. He had moved it there after an offhand comment by Applebloom about Sweetie Belle always managing to press things she wasn't supposed to – hence why Rarity was watching the trio like a hawk. A heavy sigh from the other end terminated that idea before it could fully take root.

"No can do Billy. The Multiversal Opener is just too dangerous. A stable passage is needed; not random portals. Um, there's something you need to know. I was reviewing footage of yesterday's battle and noticed that Xonix fired off something at your Red Ranger. I'm not sure what it is or what the effects were supposed to be but I'd ask her to refrain from coming into contact with Discord or Gilda or Zedd for a while."

"Sorry Sugarcube, you're too late for that. Thanks for the head's up though."

Applejack raised her head from Rainbow's shoulder and sighed. So Xonix had fired off something at her in the last battle but it had affected Discord in some strange way. As she slowly recounted the events of the morning to the Orange Ranger, she was very aware of Rainbow reacting to her story with extremely subtle expressions. As she tried to suppress the heat rising from her cheeks, the Ranger grunted in response.

"So, it affected Discord in the form of a blackish blast…maybe some sort of memory spell or mind message. I don't think it's too much of an issue then. It could be that Xonix cast that spell randomly in an attempt to communicate with other dimensions. I doubt that anything will come out of that. Billy, you mentioned a scan before…look on the communicator's left side. You should see a row of three buttons; one red, one blue and one yellow."

Billy peered over and saw the buttons. Confirming his sight of them, the Orange Ranger continued.

"The red button is for teleportation, blue is for communication – you should already know that – and yellow is for sub-dimensional file transfers. Just place the file near the communicator and press the yellow button. The file will be scanned and transferred to the sub-dimension where all files for the Ultra Cavern are stored."

Billy nodded once and followed the instructions; which consisted of moving the file to the Communications station and transferring it from the screen to the…sub-dimensional file repository of the Ultra Cavern. He wished he could see what the Ultra Cavern looked like as the scant descriptions by Applejack and Rainbow Dash didn't explain much…other than it was an immensely large cave with Zords lining the walls. Unfortunately, until a stable doorway was created (without the help of the Multiversal Opener); he would have to wait to see it for himself…if he ever did see it.

"Billy…about these scans…I don't know but the energy seems mighty familiar to me."

Billy shook his head. The energy scans of the monsters were just that – energy scans. Sure, they seemed to be stronger than usual but it probably wasn't anything to be worried about. After explaining that to the younger Ranger, Weihan sucked in a breath and made a noise of affirmation.

"Yeah, all right. I'll keep that in mind. I'll work on a way to connect your computers to our database so I can send you the blueprints to make another communicator. Before the communication cuts off, I just want to say from myself and Eliza; thank you for allowing us to stay at the Command Tower the past few weeks. It would have been so easy to turn us away but you helped us out and in turn, you were rewarded by the ZARS sample, information about our world and your Powers charged up. While your Rangers were slightly bored, disinterested and one of them might have had a minor heart attack at one point…"

Applejack chuckled, stood up and trotted over to the communicator. Her voice was low, but conveyed a great deal of respect and admiration for the Rangers she had seen.

"Well, Ah'd also like ta think Ah gave her a bit of a surprise as well. Now, Ah'm not one fer big speeches an' all, but Ah'd like ta thank you Ultra Rangers as well. M'self and Rainbow would've been out in the cold if y'all hadn't helped us. Well, Ah guess fallin' in the Ultra Cavern helped a mite as well. An', hey, anytime y'all come back you're welcome ta stay at Sweet Apple Acres for a spell."

A faint chuckle from the other side confirmed to the cowpony that her 'dimensional counterpart' was in the Ultra Cavern and was in fairly close proximity of the Orange Ranger. Smiling at the thought, she allowed Billy to speak next.

"All right; I guess that concludes the debrief. Wasn't much of one but hopefully the next communication will be better, longer…and better thought out."

"All right guys, debrief is over. Ultra Cavern, signing out."

TBC…


	35. Saurian

Chapter 35: Saurian

Four days had gone by without incident.

Four days since Discord had stumbled back from a failed reconnaissance mission mumbling about someone called "Night Shade" and how he wasn't from where he said he was from. Four days of rest and forced training to heal most of the wounds that had been inflicted on him by the strange Orange Ranger. Although his wounds hadn't fully healed, Lord Zedd had forced him to scour the Everfree Forest for anything that could be useful as the next monster. Parasprites were now worthless to him; as was the strangely flamboyant purple sea serpent that lived in one of the nearby rivers. He had instructed his minion to stay clear of the zebra's hut but doubted Discord would listen to him.

He had almost sent Gilda with him but the humanoid griffon was resisting her brainwashing. He thought it odd that even a transformation spell powered by the Crystal hadn't managed to completely erase the original personality but he would continue reapplying the spell. He needed her as a trained attack dog that would go after the Rangers and rip them to shreds. In theory, it would work unless those Rangers showed up again. He snarled under his breath as he recalled how quickly she had been taken out of the fight by a fireball from the Orange Ranger. The burns inflicted had yet to heal but with a bit of magic, he had forced her to continue training to get stronger. 

"Master, there is something you should see."

Tearing himself away from his thoughts, he turned to look at Tricksy. The reptilian unicorn slinked over to him and handed him a crude piece of parchment with a bad drawing on it. Zedd shook his head and snorted at the image. With all the power they had; it seemed drawing and sketching was a skill that was beyond their grasps. Focusing on the image, he allowed a ghost of a smile to come over his grille before crumpling up the picture and stalking to the mouth of the cavern. To attack with a wholly saurian monster was slightly clichéd and he would have to think about what could be done to improve on the design. It seemed Discord had found a crude Roman-esque set of armour near the ruins of Celestia's Everfree Outpost. The armour was probably a leftover remnant from one of the minor skirmishes that had been fought in the pre-Celestia ages and Zedd sent out a telepathic command for the humanoid pony to recover it at once.

Armour sorted, he found himself wondering what sort of saurian would be best to wear the armour. Thanks to the endless possibilities of magic, he could shape the creature to his needs. Tricksy could help with the design but it seemed that the inhabitants of this world had never seen anything saurian before. Dragons were dragons and, as such, weren't considered by him to be true saurians. In fact, the only true saurians that had been witnessed by the population were those two Dinozords that those Rangers had summoned. While Zedd had faced many different Zords of all shapes and sizes, they all fought the same way – with the grace and restrained fury of Power Rangers. Those Ultra Dinozords had shattered the mould completely.

Brutality seemed to be the normal style of attack for those Zords and he winced internally as he recalled the purple Carnotaurus Zord sinking its fangs into the back of Ursaw. Absentmindedly, he wondered how fierce their enemy must be for them to attack back with the same force and viciousness. Whoever it was; it was none of his concern as there was little to no chance that enemy would penetrate the dimensional boundaries. Even Discord's abilities had to be supplemented with raw energy from time to time and if he was going to go with _that_ plan; Discord would have to be powered up externally beforehand and in the immediate aftermath to ensure he didn't explode.

He chuckled slightly as the perfect saurian came to his mind. Yes, it would be the perfect creature to go up against the Rangers with; even the repowered one wouldn't stand a chance. At the very thought of Billy, his visor flashed bright red in fury. The brat had somehow regained his Powers…even though they weren't connected to the Morphin Grid, they were still of formidable strength. He hoped there was no Zord attached but then dismissed that errant thought. Of course there was no Zord attached to the Powers as the Zord would have a constant drain on the Powers; which had been one of the reasons that destroying the Green Ranger's Powers had been so damn easy.

"Master, the armour."

Jumping slightly at the sudden voice, he turned around to see Discord lay the armour on the ground. Reaching into his personal subspace pocket, Lord Zedd withdrew three fossil teeth. The fossil teeth were around seven inches in length and were covered in cracks and chips. Setting the teeth down on top of the armour, he motioned for Discord to take a step back as he withdrew his Crystal and Staff. Concentrating on the evil energies that bubbled up from within, a concentrated dark purple and red glow enveloped him and the objects.

From the rocks on the ground formed strong bones, while bright yellow blood formed from the water that dripped off the ceiling. Gilda yelped in mild pain as three feathers were plucked of her to form short 'proto-feathers' that covered the lightly armoured skin. The three fossil teeth duplicated one, then twice and then many more times to form rows and rows of teeth. Muscle wrapped itself around the bones and was immediately covered by the skin and feathers. Even the armour on the ground changed and warped itself to fit snugly on the shoulders of the reptilian monster being given life. After one last burst of magic, the cavern shook as the creature roared up at the sky. Zedd looked at his creation in triumph.

"Imperator, go forth and destroy those in your path!"

TBC…


	36. Investigation

AN: Read, Enjoy and review!

Chapter 36: Investigation

"Just get used to it."

Billy fought the urge to sigh in frustration as he looked around at the gathering ponies. Princess Celestia was close to him as was Spike. The baby dragon was coming along to learn more about the lands outside of Equestria and had a radio on him to summon the Dragon Jet if needed. Of course, one of the problems with Billy coming along was that no other ponies knew he wasn't equine in nature. That was when Celestia had conferred with both unicorns to come up with a temporary shape-shifting spell. A strangely surreal chase scene later and he had been cornered by three glowing horns. A burst of magic later and he had been transformed…into a royal blue unicorn.

He snorted in mild annoyance as he looked at his newly furry body. Although the fur covering his body wasn't long or shaggy, it still itched in places he couldn't scratch. Throwing his head back, he blinked in resignation as his dirty blonde mane fell over his eyes for the umpteenth time. He wondered how in the world the Rangers were able to style their manes so well but he supposed they had their manes all their lives…and weren't used to having hands. The most surprising thing was his field of vision wasn't compromised by the silver horn protruding from his forehead. He could see it, but it lost its novelty value after the first few times he ran into the wall. At least he still had his Morpher with him; the octagonal device had been strapped around one of his front legs so he could still morph if necessary.

The Rangers wouldn't be left high and dry either as he had instructed Princess Luna on how to use the controls to communicate with the Rangers as well as fire the Emergency Zord Deploy Cannon. The defences would all be on automatic, which meant teleportation was the only way anyone could come in or out of the Command Tower. As Luna could raise and lower the Moon from inside; she had volunteered to stay 'on watch' in the Command Tower for the duration of the trip. To assist with her comfort, Billy had pointed out where the living quarters were as well as where the food replicators were.

As the small group of guards assembled nearby, Billy felt his nervousness grow tenfold. Due to the distance of Deinos Terra Firma, travelling by Pegasus chariot wasn't an option. Princess Celestia had instead opted to teleport them directly to the location, although that had its risks as well. Carefully twisting his head around to look at his hind legs, he allowed a faint smile to cross his face as he saw his Cutie Mark: a stylised representation of his original Triceratops Power Coin. Unfortunately, most of the ponies around him thought that his special talent involved finances and investments and had been asking him about good investment properties and business deals. Truly, it was astounding how many ponies didn't know how to save and look for good investments in Equestria.

"Attention, we will be leaving in a few minutes. Please hold on while the teleportation is in effect."

Billy sighed and flicked his tail nervously before attempting to use his magic once more. As a unicorn had access to innate magical talents, he was interested what talents he had. Fortunately, he had tested this out in the Training Room and was infinitely grateful for strengthening the walls. While he could use the magic as a sort of telekinesis, the bulk of his magic ability allowed him to shoot out azure magic bolts at high speed with varying explosive results. As he had energy scans running on himself, he was eager to see how the magic bolts compared with the Morphin Energy fired from his Blade Blaster as well as the energy released by the Orange Ranger's Raptor Laser. If Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and the two Princesses could also shoot the energy bolts, it would increase their arsenal by a considerable amount.

As he mused on the thought, he didn't notice the soft golden glow appear on his body or the tingles that ran across his skin. However, he _did_ notice the bright flash that came soon after; as well as the sudden increase in temperature and the sudden roughness of the ground below. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he noted that the air had become significantly drier and the sun beat down harsher. Looking around, his jaw dropped as he took in the savannahs of Deinos Terra Firma and saw the zebras roaming freely. Trotting up to the Princess, his voice was low and conveyed a sense of wonderment.

"The place…it looks just like Africa does on Earth. Amazing…"

Celestia nodded once to the transformed human and plucked Spike off her back. The young Dragon nodded once and sniffed the air for the scent of destruction. Although Discord had been freed for a few weeks; his scent still hung fresh in the air. Following his sensitive nose, the baby Dragon led the group of ponies across the plains to a large red stain on the ground. Waving away the flies that swarmed around the stain, Billy bent down and looked closer at the patch. Whatever happened here, it was brutal. Something had been ripped away or out of something or someone travelling at high speeds. Small slivers of bone were dotted around the area; as was a strange fine dust that smelled rather…organic. Lifting his head, he looked at the Princess and nodded once.

There was no doubt about it; Discord had been here. Billy imagined what the scene would have looked like with Discord facing off against Lord Zedd in a battle for control. A humanoid alicorn fighting against the self proclaimed Emperor of Evil…he didn't have to be psychic to know how that had turned out. Judging from the shattered spear nearby, Discord had fought with all of his might but still had been defeated. Celestia closed her eyes for one moment before speaking.

"Ground unicorn horn…it is as I feared. Although Discord has lost his horn, he is no less dangerous."

"Princess…up ahead."

Nodding at the guard, the Princess lifted her head to see the imposing Tomb of Discord a short distance away. Even from this distance she could see the thick walls had been blasted away by extremely powerful magic. Closing her eyes, she shook her head again.

"Let us see how Discord lived for all this time…"

TBC…


	37. Death's Hoof

AN: If you clop to a later part of this chapter, you are a terrible being.

Chapter 37: Death's Hoof

It was worse than she had imagined.

The interior of the Tomb was strewn with the bones of the ponies most loyal to Discord. Skeletons littered the floor in various states of completeness. Long dried streaks of blood were splashed against the walls and she swallowed hard to keep her breakfast down. As she looked down to a pony skeleton, her eyes rested on a gleaming necklace around its neck and she shuddered as the memories came.

Flashback

"_Bright Prospect, you can't be serious!"_

_The pale purple unicorn nodded once as the Princess sighed. Another one of her trusted subjects was being seduced by Discord to be added to his slowly growing ranks. The strange pony had appeared on the Palace radar when he had claimed to be the Princess' long lost brother. A quick background and blood test had revealed no such connection – yet he was adamant that he was related to the Princess by way of being an alicorn. He had tried to seize power for himself but had been swiftly defeated._

_He had been seen lurking in Canterlot a few days ago and then he had left with the strange black unicorn called Night Shade. Now, it seemed he was building up a force for…something. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was._

"_I am sorry, Celestia. Discord…he spoke to me as if he could see inside my soul. I…I must protect him to the very end. I'm sorry."_

_End Flashback_

The departure of Bright Prospect had cemented the threat of Discord into her mind that very second. She sent moles into his group that investigated the way he ensnared his prey. For the next century, she had given the appearance of not caring who Discord was and what his ulterior motivations were. The truth could not have been farther than the lies. She had the Elements of Harmony secretly transported to the Everfree Outpost where they had been guarded by the Elites…until a rogue manticore had killed most of them in a frenzied attack. She also had been building up her own magical reserves for the final confrontation…although when it had come; it was surprising in its brutality…

Flashback

"_Run! Get out of here!"_

_She looked on in horror as her finest guards fell to the violent attacks by the Odd Order. Horrifyingly enough, Bright Prospect was leading the group although her old friend still had some remorse in her eyes. With tears in her eyes, she fired off a strong magical bolt that blew away the soldiers advancing on her. Old friends fell as the magic bolts ripped into them and her heart ached at the terrible pain she wrought. Galloping away from the scene, she lifted her head and sniffed the air lightly. It was filled with choking smoke and the slightly coppery smell of freshly spilled blood._

_Discord had attacked in the dead of night with hundreds of brainwashed ponies leading the charge. The Canterlot Army had been dispatched to quell the violence…although she had known they were going to their deaths. With every step she took away from the Palace, her heart ached more and more. Casting a simple glamour spell over her body, she changed her looks completely. She now was a pale pink Pegasus with a dusky brown mane and a Cutie Mark of an iceberg. Her advisors had taken great lengths to ensure she would still have a presence in Canterlot during the attack. They had rigged up a machine that would fire off bolts of magic from the Throne Room. Six coloured lights would also randomly blink on and off to signify the Elements of Harmony were still in the Palace._

_As the ruse couldn't last for long, she had decided that it would only last for three days. After that period had passed, the lights were to be switched off and a rumour spread that she had fled with the Elements to the Everfree. She had fought vehemently to stay until the lights were switched off but she had been outvoted. Ducking her head with the other refugees, she began the long walk of shame away from the city she called her home._

_End Flashback_

In hindsight, leaving had been the best option. Discord had ransacked the Palace from top to bottom and she had even heard that Night Shade had accessed the Harmony Vault and broken the vials of Honesty and Loyalty magic. Magic that powerful would leave an indelible mark on any being and would possibly contain the unique dimensional signature needed to create a stable doorway to the dimension. Making a mental note to tell Billy after the investigation was over, she continued deeper into the Tomb. The deeper she travelled, the heavier the air became. Stumbling over something, she looked down and her eyes widened in horror.

An Earth pony skeleton lay in a wide dark stain. The way the skeleton laid implied that the pony had been in a lot of pain when it had died. However, she knew better.

Flashback

_The arc of charged magic lanced through the air and struck the charging pony head on. The warrior stopped dead in his tracks, blinked once and exploded from the inside; showering the attacker with blood and flesh._

"_Princess, hurry! Discord is up ahead!"_

_Turning away from the twitching body of the pony she had killed, Celestia allowed a small tear to fall in remembrance for the pony he had once been._

_End Flashback_

Honestly, that magic had taken all of them by surprise. The Elements had reacted to the bloodshed with even more power than ever…and it had frightened her just a small bit. Then, Shining Light had taken her aside and mentioned that the strengthening of their magic was the result of the period of upheaval and their internal change for the changes to come. At that time, she hadn't known what that had meant. As she walked to the far end of the Tomb – Discord's Throne Room – she felt Billy come up beside her. The transformed human was adapting well to his form and the glow from his horn it up the once-majestic room.

"Incredible…I wish I had a camera…"

Allowing a smile to cross her muzzle, Celestia looked around the Throne Room. The circular room was darkened but it had always been dark. Discord hadn't wanted any outside light to come in and hated lighting fires for some reason but the unicorns in his service had compensated for the dark rooms with light from their horns. Weathered frescoes of his rise were plastered over the walls; while the ceiling was decorated with a highly detailed painting that showed Discord giving purpose to his army. The imposing Throne of Discord sat in the centre of the room; the once gleaming marble seat showing its age with cracks along its surface. If she squinted hard enough, she could see the blast shadow of Discord at the exact moment the full fury of the Elements was released. Of course…she could also see Shining Light's shadow.

Flashback

_She could only watch in horror as her friend launched herself at the being that had almost enslaved her mind and body. In one of the many doorways, Celestia could see the skulking form of Night Shade readying some sort of spell but all her attention was fixated on the battle in front of her. It was Shining Light against Discord and the few members of the Odd Order that had survived. Her friend had appeared a few minutes before; throwing open one of the sets of doors that led to the outer walls and charging at Discord after his shout of surprise. As the Elements started charging up their power, she watched as Shining Light managed to grab Discord's arms behind his back and pin him on his throne with her body._

"_I'll hold him! Do it now!"_

_She shook her head violently as Discord violently thrashed his body. Shining Light suddenly cried out and her body went rigid as Discord bucked his hips up. Her friend looked back to her in fear and pain as her grip on the monstrous creature began to slowly weaken from blood loss or…_

"_You must do it! Now!"_

"_I can't! You'll…no!"_

_She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Discord was violating her best friend in front of her and she was fighting as hard as she could to stop his reign of terror. She inhaled shakily and nodded once. As the Elements levitated behind her, she closed her eyes and tried to block out the grunts and squeals in front of her. The next few minutes flashed by in a blur: a multicoloured blast, a strange magical wormhole, the mad rush to escape the Citadel and picking up the pieces._

_End Flashback_

"Get…Out…"

The strange voice snapped her out of her memories. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. A chill ran down her spine as an icy wind rushed past them. Shadows seemed to lengthen and stretch out threateningly. Billy placed himself in front of the Princess and kept his Morpher ready. An invisibly oppressing force made them take a few involuntary steps back.

There was a pause; as if something was inhaling deeply.

The blast of energy seemed to come from the shadows themselves. It knocked the Princess and Billy off their feet and rolled them out the way they had come. Amidst all the rushing of wind and shouts of surprised ponies, the Princess heard Billy morph and saw the darkened energy actually move away from him for the tiniest of fractions. As they tumbled out of the Tomb and onto the sandy ground outside; the energy coalesced into a shambling beast. The beast was vaguely humanoid with strangely ape-like features. The only differences were the long claws on its hands and the bone-like structures that rose out if its back. Billy's body jerked as the shape-shifting spell failed and he became a human once again. As he readied himself for a fight, the creature spoke in a voice that came from everywhere and nowhere.

"I am a servant of Blackened Heart. Intruders will die."

TBC…


	38. Broken

AN: A bit of this chapter deals with some rather…icky/interesting stuff. This story will soon become as dark and unsettling as The Ultra Crystals. It can and will go downhill from here…

Chapter 38: Broken

She was bored out of her mind.

After completing yet another lap of the Command Tower, she was seriously contemplating jumping out of one of the windows. From the magic tremor she had felt through her body a few seconds ago, she knew that her sister, Spike and Billy had left to go to Deinos Terra Firma. The energy disturbance had been constantly analysed by the scanners but the results had come up as inconclusive. Levitating the most recent printout of the results, she chewed her lower lip as her eyes scanned the findings. The majority of the energy seemed to come directly from the Elements of Harmony but the readings matched the Elements before they were merged with the Zeo Crystals; meaning the source of the energy had been in direct contact with the Elements in the past.

The only thing or pony she knew that had any direct contact had been Discord but it wasn't likely that he would go back to his prison willingly. She had an inkling her sister knew of something else but whatever it was; she was keeping it tightly held to her chest. Dropping the printout, she shook her head slightly. She had volunteered to stay in the Command Tower as going to see another place of imprisonment would be reopening a healed wound. From the scant conversations she had with her sister on the subject of Discord, she knew that there were no windows of any kind in his prison. No natural light would breach the walls of the Tomb…unlike her own prison on the Moon.

The evil of Nightmare Moon had been fully extinguished by the Elements of Harmony, but the resentfulness still remained strong. Long talks with her sister had allowed most of the remaining emotion to vanish as she heard of the suffering and constant loneliness her elder sister had endured. The small part that hadn't vanished was used as energy to help Billy in the creation of the Ranger powers. The idea of other dimensions was fascinating to her and made her very glad that Nightmare Moon had only been fixated on Celestia. Thinking of her actions as Nightmare Moon made her shudder as she recalled exactly what the twisted alicorn had wanted to do to her. Sisterly love was one thing but to want to do _that_ was entirely another. The lonely nights on the Moon hadn't helped much either.

Although he hadn't wanted to spend too much time on the subject, Billy had given the strange and sickening desire a name: incest, wanting to mate or have intimate relations with a family member. She hadn't told her sister about that aspect as she didn't want to lie that those feelings had vanished. They hadn't but she was trying to keep them suppressed as to not sully the relationship; after all, there was not real reason that they would spill out anyway. Well, unless there was a monster that projected dreams but talks with Billy had revealed that it was only a problem if the monster ate or destroyed the dreams.

As she sighed yet again, her eyes drifted up to the tube where Dimitria would have been normally. The Inquiran had been meditating since the Ultra Rangers had left the dimension and had not responded to any calls of her name. She would reappear when the time was right but Luna wished she knew what the Interdimensional being did. Turning away from the tube, she yelped in surprise as the alarms started wailing. Quickly remembering what Billy had shown; she silenced the alarms and turned to the viewing screen to see what the creature looked like. After accidentally cycling through some rather…risqué…locations, she finally found what the monster was up to. The monster had emerged from the Everfree Forest very close to the home of the Yellow Ranger and the timid Pegasus was doing her best to fight the reptilian beast. Lifting a hoof to call the other Rangers, she blinked in amazement as five other coloured beams flew to the scene – revealing the remaining Rangers. Shaking her head and suppressing a light chuckle, she activated the scanners to record energy readings coming from the monster.

"Rangers, be careful. This monster is incredibly powerful. Up close fighting is discouraged so you will have to use your weapons."

She saw the Purple Ranger nod once before the six Rangers summoned their personal cannons. Seeing the improved flank cannons in use was incredibly amazing. Whatever the Ultra Rangers had done was truly magnificent as it had connected the Rangers with their Zords closer than any other Ranger team in Billy's dimension. Icy blasts impacted and froze against the exposed scales of the reptilian beast while spears of rock dented its armour. Narrowing her eyes at the familiar design, she used her magic to enhance and magnify the image of the armour. As she thought, it was a discarded breast-plate of the Nightmare Colts: Nightmare Moon's bodyguards.

One of her first acts as Nightmare Moon was to foalnap seven young colts, magically age them and train them to be her loyal bodyguards. As proof of their devotion, the seven had created lustrous armour of bronze and silver and hoof-crafted the decorations that adorned the armour. Upon her banishment by her sister, the colts had died attacking Celestia's Royal Guards and their armour had been scattered around the Everfree Forest. Shaking her mind away from the thoughts of the past, she noticed a slight beeping noise coming from one of the consoles. Trotting over, she pressed a button and a screen snapped up in front of her.

She blinked in surprise as the familiar face of the Orange Ranger appeared. He seemed to be in some sort of chamber that housed a long table and a very similar tube…that seemed to have a long-haired person inside it. Behind him, she could see the Purple Ranger as well as ten other figures that she guessed were the other Ultra Rangers. Seeing her shock, the Orange Ranger inclined his head and spoke in a regal and respectful tone.

"Princess Luna, I apologise for this…impromptu call. Is everything all right?"

Internally wincing as a large explosion rang behind her, her eyes widened a fraction as she heard Applejack yell out Discord's name. Discord was in the battle as well and the Red Ranger was battling him one on one. Her heart tightened at the thought but she forced herself to relax. The Blue Ranger would fight side-by-side with her loved one and hopefully they would realise how incredibly obvious they were being. Remembering that she had the Rangers on the other side of the screen, she shook her head and chewed her lower lip.

"The Rangers are in battle with one of Zedd's monsters. My sister and Spike have taken a small complement of guards to investigate an energy disturbance in Deinos Terra Firma. I will show you a live image of the battle and patch you through to them."

At the nod of the Orange Ranger, she cantered to the scanner station and manipulated the image so it would show on the Communications Station screen. Trotting back, she looked at the image just in time to see the Pink Ranger seemingly wave at her. Smiling back, she closed her eyes and wondered if anypony, human or higher power would truly be able to understand the inner workings of Pinkie Pie. She opened her mouth to inform the Rangers that their friends were watching when a powerful tremor ran through her body.

Leaning heavily against a nearby console, she tried to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from; not even blinking as one of the other Ultra Rangers expressed shock at the monster's appearance or the other shouts from the fighting Rangers. Breathing heavily as the tremor subsided, she suddenly felt a jolt of fear from her sister. Her heart sunk as her worst fears were realised.

It had begun…

TBC…


	39. Harmony of Unity

AN: Megazord debut! If you want to see what it looks like, hit up my deviantArt page (link on bio).

Chapter 39: Harmony of Unity

"Shit. This is not good."

Twilight couldn't agree more with his sentiment. The strange reptilian beast had attacked Fluttershy and almost destroyed her garden. It had been a miracle that she had managed to hit the emergency button on her communicator to inform the others. Princess Luna apparently had her hooves full and couldn't inform them right away of the attack or Fluttershy had been faster. She hoped it was more of the latter than the former; although Luna had helped with the creation of the Ranger Powers. They had morphed onto the scene and fought against the monster. Dodging blows from its armoured tail had not been easy but Luna had suggested that the personal weapons be used. Somehow knowing that it meant the blasters, they had summoned them and proceeded to gain the upper hoof against the beast…until Discord had shown up.

The humanoid alicorn had dropped from the skies and had taken almost all of them by surprise. Whether her senses and reflexed were trained to sense Discord or if they had some sort of bond with each other, Twilight didn't know but Applejack had knocked him off his trajectory with a charged jumping buck. Rainbow Dash had swooped in to help Applejack, while the others had their hooves full with the monster. She hadn't even noticed the slight crackle that signalled an open communications channel until an unfamiliar voice had washed over her ears.

And now the monster was growing.

Ignoring the explanation about something that was coming over the channel, she grouped the Rangers together and nodded once. In unison, the Rangers lifted up their front left hooves and wordlessly called for their Zords. In a bright flash of light, the six equine machines charged towards their pilots. Slowly inhaling deeply, Twilight bent her head low and charged toward her Zord; her hooves pounding against the ground as she slowly picked up speed for the final leap. Hearing the others as they made the 'jumps' into their cockpits, she launched herself off the ground and allowed the teleportation system to beam her onboard.

"Girls, we need to combine to defeat this creature. Harmony Megazord: Omega!"

Closing her eyes, she focused the Morphin energy outward through the Element Crystal on her head. She shuddered lightly as she felt the energy flowing into her Zord; powering up systems she didn't know were there to enable the transformation. She could feel the air growing thick and heavy with the combined energies of the six Rangers. Waiting for a few more seconds, she nodded slowly to herself and snapped her eyes open – initiating the transformation. From her vantage point in the Magic Harmonyzord, she could see the changes the other Zords went through.

The Honesty and Loyalty Zords' heads and front legs rotated ninety degrees and the Zords rotated to form the legs and feet. Their hind legs served as supports and their tails and manes retracted into their bodies. The wings on the Loyalty Zord remained external but they were soon covered by a strange metallic substance that sharpened the edges and made them gleam in the sunlight. The Kindness and Laughter Zords underwent a similar transformation: the front and hind legs folded into the bodies which straightened to form long arms. As with the Loyalty Zord, the wings on the Kindness Zord didn't retract and were covered with the same metallic substance.

As Rarity's Zord leapt into the air, Twilight could see the saurian beast firing lasers at the Zords in an attempt to stop them from combining; but it was no use. Billy had installed a powerful shield to protect the Zords and from Applejack's explanations, it seemed the White Ultra Ranger had strengthened it somehow. She briefly wondered how when the fired blasts were reflected back at the creature.

"That is some shield. How come our Zords don't have something like that?"

She chuckled as she heard the same voice from before come over the speakers and watched as the Generosity Zord's four legs retracted into the body while the hooves opened up slightly to accommodate the connectors for the arms and legs. She winced behind her helmet as the head split in two and retracted slightly into the neck to form a robotic humanoid face. The mane did not retract into the head but wrapped around the top half of the face to form a pseudo-visor of sorts. She felt a slight jerking motion as her Zord began its transformation and she could see everything on the viewscreen in front of her. The Magic Zord split into three parts and the parts that held the legs transformed and twisted until they resembled large fists which connected to the lower ports of the arms a split second before they – in turn – connected with the main body.

She felt another jerking sensation and allowed the teleportation system to take her out of the cockpit as it imploded on itself, the representation of her Element Crystal enlarging to create an imposing helmet that slid over the head of the Generosity Zord. When her vision cleared, she found herself seated in front of two strange sheaths which were the perfect size for her hooves to slide into. Swallowing nervously, the purple unicorn slid her hooves in and let out a startled gasp as new information flowed into her mind. Five flashes later and the other Rangers were seated around her in a semi-circular formation. As they slid their hooves into the respective sheaths the wall in front of them sprang to life to show the Harmony Megazord in its final stages of assembling.

The legs lengthened slightly to lock onto the hip connectors and the fists flexed once before settling in a ready position. Panels on the stark white chest of the Generosity Zord opened up to allow the excess armour from Twilight's zord to form dazzling chest armour. The design was of a six-pointed star with the Cutie Marks of all the Rangers at each point and seemed to radiate power. As the information flowed through her brain, Twilight opened her mouth to complete the last connection needed.

"Harmony Megazord Omega Mode, complete!"

A shudder ran through their connected bodies as the energy of the Element Grid fully awoke. All around the world, beings that were connected with the magic of the Elements felt strengthened and refreshed…and in one case, the awakening unlocked a greater power. The six Rangers didn't know any of this was going on as their entire focus had switched to the towering beast in front of them. Their thoughts were unified as were their hearts and minds on stopping the monster from advancing into Ponyville. The ground trembled slightly as the giant machine took a step forward and took an offensive stance. The awed noises from the Ultra Rangers were all but drowned out as they concentrated on quickly destroying the beast.

"Element Sabre!"

The cry came from everypony and nopony at once; instead it seemed to come from the very core of the Zord. The chest symbol's light pulsed stronger as the mighty weapon took shape. Seemingly comprised of the six Zord tails, the blade materialised in the left hand of the Megazord. If the Megazord was a majestic sight to behold, then the Element Sabre provided the final touches for a truly mesmerising appearance. The mighty blade rose up from a smaller reproduction of the Megazord's chest symbol and the weapon glowed as if it was powered by the Ultra Crystals themselves. There was a short pause – as if the whole world was holding its breath awaiting the final blow.

"Magic Judgement!"

Slowly lifting the Element Sabre into the air, the blade started glowing with the six colours of the Elements of Harmony. The air crackled with charging electricity as the Megazord held the handle with both hands. The monster gaped at its imminent destruction and leaped towards the Megazord in an attempt to take it down.

It never stood a chance.

Powerful servos in the arms brought the blade down onto the creature with thunderous force. Slicing through armour, flesh and bone; the monster all but turned into red mist before exploding in a crackling ball of light. As the adrenaline faded from their collective systems, the Rangers slumped against their chairs and listened to the cheers from the Ultra Rangers.

There was nothing they couldn't overcome as a team.

TBC…


	40. Blue Crash

AN: Subtitle for chapter: In which Billy receives a taste of things to come…

Chapter 40: Blue Crash

He was beginning to see why he stayed in the Command Tower so much.

Billy was painfully aware of the weapons that were pointed his way; not only from the monster, but also from the guard ponies as well. In fact, the only beings that didn't show some degree of shock were the Princess and Spike. The creature that had called itself a servant of Blackened Heart was looking curiously at the armoured figure before it. Activating the mini-scanners in his armour, he could see that the creature was entirely made up of energy…but it was unlike any energy he had seen before. It wasn't good or bad…it just was. It didn't make any sense but as the creature lunged at him, he vowed to look into it later.

Jumping back from its first clumsy lunge, he spun aside and slammed his arm down in its back. Much to his surprise, the hit connected and the creature crashed to the ground with a yelp. Flipping away from the fallen creature, he unsheathed his Blade Blaster and converted it to its Blade mode. Taking a few steps forward to gain momentum, he dropped to the ground and slid towards the monster with his Blade Blaster aimed at its stomach. The blade connected with the stomach and he winced as he felt something warm, wet and sticky drip onto his hand. Tumbling away from the creature, the Blue Ranger shook his weapon in disgust to get the green ichor off.

"No way…"

Looking back up at the creature at Spike's disbelieving tone; his eyes widened as he saw the gash slowly heal. He lifted his Blade Blaster to convert it to Blaster mode and silently cursed under his breath. The metal of the Blade Blaster had been eaten away by the blood but it seemed that his gloves weren't affected. Dropping the useless weapon, he balled up his fists and ran at the monster again. Rolling under a disembowelling slash from its claws, he let loose a series of strong punches to its newly healed stomach and winced in disgust at the extremely soft texture of its flesh. He needed to destroy it quickly but piercing it with blades wouldn't be an option – unless he could somehow channel energy into them so they would resist the acidic blood.

"Warrior, you and your entourage will die!"

Energy bolts blasted from the creature; sending the Princess, Spike and Billy tumbling to one side. The guard ponies weren't so lucky. As the energy touched their bodies, they began to age rapidly. Billy had to look away from the sight as it reminded him of Zordon's rapid aging after Ivan Ooze had destroyed the Command Centre. As the last of the guard ponies crumbled into dust, the remaining trio looked at the monster with growing horror. Armour plates burst from the insides of the monster to cover its shoulders, upper arms and chest while deadly spikes oozing the same green ichor shot out from behind its legs. Its face twisted in pain as its skull expanded; bursting free of the skin covering it and forming a literal skull helmet.

Billy swallowed hard but noted the changes meant that he could use his Lance or he could use the offensive function on his Stega Stinger. He let out a short chuckle at the thought of his Stega Stinger as after the battle with the Oozemen, the grappling hook-type weapon seemed to disappear from his memory completely. For the offensive function to work effectively, he would have to get rid of the armour that had covered it. He wasn't going to risk attacking the unprotected areas as flying acidic blood wasn't a good idea around somepony as important as the Princess. Summoning his Power Lance, he readied it against the creature and waited for the right time to strike.

"You will never defeat me! Accept that!"

Grinding his teeth together, he tried to block out the voice. He would defeat the creature in front of him – of this, he was sure. Springing forward, he separated his lance and slashed the blades over its lower left arm. As he tried to block out the sound of its horrified screams of pain and the muted thump as the severed limb hit the ground, he vaulted over its head and roundhouse kicked it to the ground. Looking at his Lance, he noticed that although the green ichor was all over the blades, it didn't seem to be eating into the metal. In fact; the metal seemed to nullify its effects. He didn't know whether that was an intrinsic property of his Power Lance or if it was something that the infusion of Ultra Power into his Morpher had unlocked – such as his Power Coin having both images of the Triceratops and Wolf.

Whatever the reason, it was more than enough for him to abandon the plan of using his Stega Stinger. Flipping away from the creature, he inhaled deeply and attempted to access the internal flow of his power. As Weihan had taught him to do, he channelled the energy down his arms, out his fists and onto the blades of the bifurcated weapon. Opening his eyes, he saw that his Power Lance was glowing with a faint light. Shaking his head slightly, he flipped over the monster and stuck both halves into the seam running down the centre of the armoured plates. Dodging the wild swings of the creature, he applied as much morphed strength as he could in prying the armour plates off its body. He honestly didn't know what would break first – the armour or his Lance. Applying more strength, he heard a faint cracking sound as green ichor started running from the cracks in the armour. With one final burst of strength accompanied by a Herculean yell, he ripped both plates of armour off the creature's chest. The beast fell back screaming as more ichor flowed from the gaping wounds.

A ripple of energy blasted through the air as a shudder ran through the bodies of Spike, Princess Celestia and Billy. As he recovered from the strange surge, an image appeared in his mind's eye of a towering bipedal robot with a helmet very reminiscent of Twilight Sparkle's Cutie Mark. A broad smile emerged on his face as he realised that the Rangers had combined into the Harmony Megazord. The Omega Mode was the default combination but it was by no means the only Mode that was available to them. If he survived the next few minutes, he would subtly inform them of what other Modes could be formed. Breathing heavily, his hands tightened around his weapon and he relaxed his body; allowing the Power to take over as dark clouds formed overhead within seconds.

Lifting both halves of the charged weapon into the air, lightning blasted down from the clouds to strike the raised tips. Bolts brimming with electricity ran around the armour of the Blue Ranger; yet he seemed to sustain no damage from the dangerous voltage. The metal blades of the Power Lance started glowing red, then white and finally blue as the Ranger connected both halves together. Thunder rumbled overhead as the bolts of lightning crashed down upon the creature; frying its internal organs and temporarily stunning it.

"Blue Crash!"

The cry came out a split second before the Blue Ranger acted. Spinning his Lance around, he raced at the monster and leapt into the air. Thrusting the lightning-infused weapon deep into the chest of the creature, Billy poured all of the stored energy into the creature before pulling out and flipping away. The monster swayed on its feet for a few seconds before reaching up with its remaining arm to lightly touch the sparking wound. As it prepared to attack again, it stumbled on its feet and exploded in a crackling display of light and power. Billy stepped back from the explosion and felt the Power relinquish control of his body. Staring at the sparking remains of the beast, he exhaled heavily and looked back towards Discord's Tomb.

Whatever was in there…it didn't want to be disturbed.

TBC…


	41. Blackened

Chapter 41: Blackened

They had done the unthinkable.

One of her precious guards had been destroyed by the strange biped. The same guard she had lovingly created after her stirring earlier. It had been the first of many and she had loved it as her own. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she raised her head up from the cracked floor and let a harsh bark of laughter escape her lips. How long it had been since she had first stirred she didn't know; though she had been fully awakened by the unfamiliar energy that had crackled through the air a short while ago. Strangely, it felt extremely similar to the magic produced by the Elements of Harmony but the Elements should have been sealed away in Canterlot Tower for safekeeping. If the Elements were in one place and if their Bearers had been chosen, there was no need for that strange biped to be using that strange power.

There was only one explanation for it – the strange warrior was working with Discord. He had taken a baby dragon from Draconis and had somehow blackmailed Celestia into helping him. He probably had the power and means to free Nightmare Moon from the Moon as well as destroy the evil within her. With her new powers she could see what was happening outside her Tomb. She was one with the shadows and could see everypony everywhere. Concentrating her energy away from the broken body of her guard, she peered into the shadows in Canterlot Tower. If the Elements were still there, she wouldn't act just yet.

What she did see surprised her.

She saw a long hall with strange metal blocks lining the walls. There were lights on the boxes that blinked rhythmically with each passing second. Strange panels showed a strange metal biped battling against a dragon creature clad in the armour of the Nightmare Colts while others showed the outside of the Tomb. Narrowing her eyes, she attempted to get closer to the images but something stood in her way. It was a tall alicorn with a dark blue coat and a long flowing mane of blue, black and hints of grey. She let out a gasp of shock as she realised who it was; not Nightmare Moon…but Princess Luna. Recovering quickly, she shook her head away from the surprise. The warrior had probably freed and purified her just as she had suspected and had used her to bend Celestia to his will.

Three bright streams of light temporarily forced her to look away briefly. Looking back onto the scene, she snarled as the strange Warrior removed his armour and stood near Celestia. The Princess was watching the screen of the battle with concern and she ground her teeth together. This was it – the moment where the Warrior would reveal his plan for her future. If she timed it just right, she would be able to…

"All right! They did it! That's some powerful Zord, Billy!"

She blinked. The words had been spoken by the Dragon hatchling yet had not held any trace of anger or resentment at his capture. Rather, it seemed as if he was congratulating the Warrior on his achievement at his help with…something. The Zord…what was a Zord? Was it a weapon that the Warrior used to subjugate ponies or was it something else entirely that was used to conquer the world? Surely that amount of power would be enough to subdue the Dragons on Draconis and even wipe them off the planet completely.

"Thanks, Spike. Actually, I'm rather worried about that monster that was in the Tomb. Was that there when you sealed Discord, Princess?"

"No, Billy, it wasn't. In your words, I would say your guess is as good as mine."

So, Celestia wasn't the prisoner of this 'Billy' but was talking with him on things that should have been state secrets. It just didn't seem like her friend to talk to strangers about anything and everything that should have been locked away for good. Maybe her friend had slowly transformed into a cruel and ruthless tyrant and was imposing her will on the innocent ponies of Equestria. Yes, that had to be it…and the ponies had revolted by creating beasts and sending them to overthrow the Princess and her pet dragon. Her old friend had accessed otherworldly forces and had summoned a demon with a giant metal golem to defend her rule. She would have been lonely in the past hundred years or so but to resort to these under-hoofed tactics? It didn't seem right or possible.

Withdrawing her essence from the strange chamber, she wondered what had happened to the world. There was something strange that was going on and she would have to gather more information before she found out what it was. But her guard had still been killed brutally and she would never forgive that.

She would never accept it.

TBC…


	42. Conversations With Zordon

AN: More Billy back-story!

Chapter 42: Conversations with Zordon

"The Bearer will be one who has embraced deceit willingly as a way of life."

The voice boomed out of the speakers in the Command Tower as the Rangers teleported in from their victory. Fluttershy quickly demorphed and raced to the Communications Console. Looking at the screen, she squeaked in surprise as she registered the strange floating head and hands in what looked like a replica of Dimitria's tube. She could also see the Orange and Purple Ultra Rangers along with ten other humans whom she assumed were the other Ultra Rangers. She could see Weihan shake his head at something and walk closer to the strange tube. She could hear the resentment in his voice as he spoke.

"Great. So even if the thirteenth is in their dimension, it can still impart energy into ours? What will it look like anyway?"

The head shook from side to side; indicating that it did not know. Weihan threw his hands up in frustration before stalking out of view of the communications screen. The Pegasus wanted to fly through the screen to comfort him in some way but knew she couldn't comfort him as he had comforted her. For one thing, she was needed in her dimension to fend off the attacks of Zedd, Discord and whatever monsters were sent. Another more obvious thing was that she was a pegasus and he was a human. Anything more than friendship would be…rather messy for all involved. Still, she could dream…

"Zordon…is it really you?"

Turning around, she saw Billy walk towards the screen with a strange look on his face – as if he was torn between longing and hatred. She wondered if the Blue Ranger would ever tell them the reason behind his negativity but dismissed the thought. Billy's problems were not for team discussion and they only would be up for discussion if they posed a great threat or risk to the team. She saw the head nod once and hold up a strange four fingered hand to stall any further discussion.

"I believe it would be better if we talked in private as I sense you have things to say that should not be heard by the little ones."

Billy nodded as the Rangers bristled at being called 'little ones'. Motioning for the ponies and the Ultra Rangers to leave, he was soon all alone in the Command Tower with a communications screen that held the image of his long deceased mentor. The same mentor who had refused to revive his wife from her wounds received on Aquitar and had left him in a dark world of hurt and pain. On the other hand, he realised it wasn't 'his' version of Zordon that he was looking at; rather it was the version that resided in the Ultra Rangers' dimension. Although he consciously knew this fact…the hurt and anger still remained.

"I sense that you are very much different from the Billy I know of. Would it be too much to ask you to describe your life up until now?"

Billy shook his head shakily and braced himself. In an instant, all of his forgotten insecurities came flooding back. How would the Zordon of the other dimension respond to his rather petty anger and resentment? Did he know that he would die at the end of the year and bring a temporary peace to the Universe? Or did he have some sort of plan to survive his impending death and survive what all Rangers referred to as Z Day? He didn't know but he didn't care. He opened his mouth to speak at the gentle unspoken command.

"I guess you know about my rapid aging and leaving for Aquitar. The water of the Eternal Falls did help with my rapid aging although I will never age as rapidly as normal humans do. When my friends are eighty, I will look pretty much the same as I do now. It is a grave side-effect but I have learnt to somewhat accept it."

He took in a deep breath. He was nearing the memories that Zedd's attack had brought to the forefront of his mind. He both wanted to forget them and keep them close and in some lonely corner of his mind, he knew that he had to accept the fact that his wife was gone for good…but he couldn't. Not just yet.

"On Aquitar, I began research into a way for Aquitians to live on Earth by means of a portable water filtration device. They would be able to carry it around all day and not suffer from the effects of rapid dehydration. Unfortunately, they would have to refill the device once every five hours. I also worked on improving the armour and weapons of the Battleborgs to better defend against the attacks of Divatox. And then the day of the Countdown came. Divatox…she swarmed the planet with her forces and was about to crush us. Cestro had repaired my Power Morpher but Cestria was adamant to fight. We agreed on fighting the next day together but she snuck out of our home in the middle of the night. I looked for her everywhere and…I can't go on."

Zordon nodded once and waited for the young man in front of him to regain some semblance of composure before he spoke.

"It is quite interesting that you were involved with Cestria. From the communications I have had with our Billy, he has found her a bit too dull and scientific for his liking. He also has created the same device you mentioned and has adapted it for the Aquitian Rangers to use; more specifically Delphine."

Billy's eyes widened. If his loving and subsequent marriage to Cestria wasn't the same in all dimensions then maybe…he squashed the hope down inside him. Zordon hadn't asked what was meant by the Countdown so he must have some indication of what would happen to him. Breathing deeply, he continued speaking. He told Zordon about the attack, the ambush and Cestria's death. He went into specifics about the Z Wave and saw the other Zordon nod resignedly as if confirming his suspicions. Finally, he spoke about his time after the death.

"I left Aquitar and roamed the Universe. From plans that I had received from my Zordon, I created the Lightspeed Rescuezords and sent them to my uncle William Mitchell in Mariner Bay. I also provided the specs and blueprints for the Trans Armour Cycle and Mobile Armour Vehicle. I also secretly sent Tommy some blueprints for biomechanical dinosaurs that had been entrusted to my care. After that, I settled on Inquiris where I, much to the surprise of many, made my peace with Divatox and accepted she had not been in control of her actions. However, what I can never accept is that Zordon could not bring my wife back to me."

Zordon looked thoughtful and ran a hand through his hair, amusing Billy greatly. After a few moments of silent thought, the ancient sage looked at the older Blue Ranger and nodded once before speaking.

"If I, your version of Zordon, had saved Cestria; who would be in your shoes? Who would be helping the ponies with their problems, fears and insecurities? You are the best and possibly only choice for this role. Is it not possible that your Zordon saw the future and saw what you would accomplish? I am not saying it was the best path to take but it does raise a few questions, does it not?"

Billy nodded absentmindedly and thought over his words. He could accept his aging situation and accept the fact that his wife was dead…but he would never really accept that Zordon could not save her unless the sage appeared before him. The chances of hat happening now were…next to nil.

"The time I can hold open this communication channel grows short. Although we can transmit sound and images, this puts a drain on the generators of the High Council Chambers. All I ask is that you think about what I have said and – if the time comes – do not judge him too harshly."

"I accept your words and I will try my best."

TBC…


	43. The Squeeze

AN: Takes place after The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000…well, just a few minutes after anyway. Enjoy!

Chapter 43: The Squeeze

"We should have gotten the ones at the bottom but no…"

The red and white maned unicorn rolled his eyes for the twentieth time as they sped past the town border of Ponyville. While it was true that their cider at the bottom of the pile was much better than at the top, he had picked off the last barrel as it had been the easiest to grab. Turning off the quality control meant that their cider had worms, rocks and various blobs of unidentified matter but they planned to market it as a 'taste acquired by the rich in Manehattan'. Of course, that would have been another lie but as long as nopony found out, it would be all right. And…wait; there was something on the road ahead and it looked like…

"Flam! Stop the transport!"

Shooting Flim an annoyed look, Flam slowed the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to a complete stop. Looking in front of the massive machine, his eyes widened and he felt something stirring in his body as he took in the way the cloak covered the figure. Something wasn't right here and he could feel it as plain as day but, of course, convincing his brother would be a lost cause in and of itself. Breathing a sigh of relief, Flim jumped from the platform and walked forward, using his magic to style his mane and make him more presentable to his long lost friend. As he neared the figure, his eyes widened slightly as he noticed the slightly reptilian tail jutting out from the cloaked figure but he dismissed it as something new she had added for her act.

"Trixie! I haven't seen you in such a long time! How are you doing these days?"

"Flim…Flam…Don't want you hurt. Stay away from me…"

He blinked at the voice that issued forth. Instead of the wonderfully lustrous voice that had sent shivers of pleasure down his spine all those years ago came a voice that was harsh and biting…and yet strangely forced; as if the speaker had to concentrate to speak in a coherent manner. Of course, that was impossible – even with the rumours of those 'Rangers' spreading, Trixie was the one pony they knew wouldn't change. He heard his brother leap down beside him and he grinned as he recalled the fun the three of them had all those years ago. Trixie had been quite the little firecracker then and had managed to unite both brothers with her…talents. He was hoping for another round or three but stopped dead in his tracks when the figure removed the cloak.

Where there was once an azure unicorn with dazzling eyes stood a horribly misshapen form that looked half pony and half crocodile. Sharp teeth protruded randomly from a snout that extended outward and the familiar dark magenta eyes peered from underneath twin ridges of bone; above which stood a short and stubby horn. Her front hooves which had given them so much pleasure had transformed into grasping hands with short, sharp claws on the fingers and her back legs…the skin had been stripped with some of the muscles parted to flash out gleaming bone. Even her tail had changed into a thick armour plated tail with large offensive spikes. Flim swallowed hard and spoke in what he hoped was a soothing tone.

"Trixie, what happened to you? A backfired spell? We need to get you some help!"

"No…no help. Like this form, I do. Much better than the old form and much more magic can be accessed. Please, you two must stay away!"

Flam hung back as his brother approached their transformed friend. His internal 'Danger Sense' was going off crazily and he looked around for possible escape routes if things became ugly. The two brothers had first met Trixie in one of Hoofington's homeless shelters and had become fast friends with the aspiring magician. The friendship had turned to love and that love had almost torn the brothers apart until Trixie had come up with her novel solution. That had repaired the bonds between them in a rather…enjoyable way but it wasn't to last long. A few months later, Trixie had left the homeless shelter claiming she had found work somewhere in Dodge Junction. Flim had given her the address of one of their aunts – Cherry Jubilee – if she needed a fast buck. They had begun construction of their first Super Speedy Cider Squeezy machine soon after and had all but forgotten her…until now.

"Brother, we should go. Trixie, it was so nice to see you again but we…ah…should leave. I mean, we need to visit the next town on the list. Flim, let's go!"

Flim was torn between loyalty to his brother and their machine and the strange pony creature in front of him that had once been their 'cum dumpster' as he had heard her called – whatever that meant. Mustering up his courage, he stepped forward and gestured to the grand machine behind him.

"My dear, you are most welcome to join up on the new Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000! Your magic will definitely transform the machine for the better!"

He watched as she looked at the machine with wide eyes and smiled to himself. Even if she had a new appearance, she was still the same on the inside and being inside her was the only thing that mattered now. She shook her head and rose on her hind legs, cackling madly as the magic was accessed. Lost within the folds of flesh and scales that covered it, her Cutie Mark glowed with crackling light and the lucidity of her mind washed away to insanity once more.

"Fools, you have used Tricksy for the last time! The name is T-R-I-C-K-S-Y and I have merged with my Master to grant me more pleasure and magic than you two can ever hope to grant me! Feast your eyes on my power!"

Flim and Flam watched in fascinated horror as a bright green and red beam of magic blasted out of the hands and horn of the creature in front of them and slammed into their lovingly created machine. Wheels transformed into powerful legs and arms and a pair of glowing red eyes emerged from above the sucking funnel. A deep, resonant chuckle came from the bowels of the machine as the 'quality control' window enlarged to show the cider making implements becoming…sharper and more lethal. Flim heard his brother shout out something but all he could see was the funnel move closer and activate on its own. He felt his mane and fur be pulled up and within an instant, he could see his hooves were off the ground and there were strange teeth within the funnel.

And then he felt nothing at all.

TBC…


	44. Infernal Machine

AN: Remember how I said this story would become as dark as The Ultra Crystals? Yeah…

Chapter 44: Infernal Machine

"Ah still think y'all should've called Billy."

Applejack sighed as Big Macintosh carried another barrel of cider to the stand and shook her head at Applebloom. She had thought of calling the human genius to help but the resulting spell would have just caused Twilight and Rarity to become exhausted from the strain. Plus, he hadn't really been himself after his talk with Zordon – spending more and more time in the Training Room to hone his skills as well as burying himself in books and scanned copies of the Grand Morphin Archives…whatever they were. Looking through the trees in the orchard, she smirked as she saw a familiar flash of hair and blue. So, Billy _had_ risked being found out…

"Sorry Applebloom, the risk was too great for him ta be in the open. B'sides, Ah'm sure he's fritterin' around here somewhere."

"Ah guess so."

Satisfied with her response, Applejack surveyed the crowd still gathered around the cider stand. Applebloom was taking a well-deserved rest from cider pulling and Rainbow Dash had surprisingly volunteered to put in a few hours…after a crash course from Applebloom that was. The sun was still high in the sky and the Flim Flam brothers had fled on their crazy contraption and the great thing was that they still had a literal mountain of cider to go through. The only problem was the mountain of cider would literally start to go off tomorrow as the yeast-dusted barrels would ferment the juice a tad too much.

"Well, Ah think that today went off pretty swell. An' we get ta keep the farm! Smiles all round y'all!"

"Somepony help!"

Heads jerked up sharply at the shout and also at the familiar voice. The other Rangers detached themselves from the crowd and trotted over to Applejack; even Rainbow Dash had left the cider stand in the capable hooves of Granny Smith…even if she was a bit slow. Out of the corner of her eye, she could even see Billy creep as close as he dared without being seen. Her eyes narrowed as a familiar light olive pony raced toward them with his straw hat nowhere to be seen. The clothes on his back were torn and ripped and he had a strange red substance splattered on his fur. The most jarring thing was that he was alone; where his brother and that infernal machine of theirs were Applejack didn't know. As the pony came closer, he tripped on a loose rock and fell forwards at her hooves.

"What in the whole of Equestria are you doin' comin' back here so soon?"

At her harsh tone, the unicorn stallion looked up and her angry expression softened slightly. From the looks of things, he had been crying as he ran and had fallen over at random intervals. His sleek coat was marred with ugly bruises…and blood that was not his own. Various other ponies were gathering around the injured and humiliated unicorn with curious anger in their eyes. He began speaking in in incredibly soft voice and Applejack had to strain to hear the words.

"We…oh, we should have never stopped but it was her in the road and she wasn't the same. No, she transformed into something and our machine transformed and sucked my brother up! There was a splash of blood and…and…and Trixie said she had sided with the darkness…"

As his voice trailed off, she exchanged a look with Twilight. As expected, the leader of the Rangers had a grim look on her face as she recalled the self proclaimed Great and Powerful Trixie and her bragging. The only question on her lips was how could anypony with that much pride be seduced to side with Zedd. Twilight hardened her gaze and stooped down to the terrified unicorn. Opening her mouth, she spoke in the most soothing and relaxing tone she could muster, awkwardly noting that it sounded too seductive for her liking.

"Please, I need you to try to remember what happened. We need this information to give to the Power Rangers."

A loud crash in the distance cut off the pony before he could speak. Lifting a trembling hoof in the direction of the sound, he made a choking sound of extreme fear in his throat before hiding at the base of the cider stand. The Rangers waited for the inevitable creature to burst out from the horizon and begin terrorizing the populace. Of course, there would probably be no monster-related injuries – only those sustained during the mass evacuation of the area. Subtly placing themselves before the crowd, they waited and heard the strange mechanical noises come closer. When the head appeared on the horizon, Applejack pawed the ground in readiness to charge but stopped in shock as the rest of the monster was revealed.

It was still the same Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, but the arms, legs and facial features above the sucking funnel were new and chilling additions. The creature grabbed the air with wood and mechanical hands and stamped on the ground with unmoving wheels. The cowpony swallowed as she saw the glass cylinders on its sides were filled with strange red, pink and white mush. A strange low laugh wafted over the group and eyes widened with the realisation that the machine itself was alive; not in the strange way Billy referred to their Zords as being but alive as in being fully sentient and aware of its surroundings. Making a mental note to never get near Billy again when he was in full 'techno-speak' mode, Applejack narrowed her eyes, steadied her breathing and ensured she could summon her Element Morpher as quickly as possible.

"What's this? Ponies standing in my way? No matter. Squeezer will crush all of you like pulp and my Master will drink in your pain and suffering!"

As it finished speaking, the sucking funnel darted forwards and hovered over a trio of ponies. They screamed as they were sucked up into the ominous black hole of the funnel. A horrible medley of crunching bones, tearing flesh and screams horrifically cut short followed as the citizens backed away slowly from the eye-gouging sight. At the end of the horrific symphony blasted out a barrel that was filled to the top with the same red, pink and white mash that had been in the cylinders.

"Now, who has the balls to stop me?"

TBC…


	45. Harmony Buster

AN: Taking a few cues from the shitstorm that was Goseiger here as well as Dekaranger/SPD. Enjoy! And irony that I'm posting a chapter with the title Harmony Buster on Valentine's Day.

Chapter 45: Harmony Buster

"RUN!"

As the crowd turned in unison and ran for the hills, Twilight slowly let out a sigh of relief. That was one problem solved and no more ponies would be killed horrifically by the monster. Looking around, she saw that nopony was in sight and nodded to the others. She took in a deep breath and shouted out the morph call.

"It's Morphin Time! Magic!"

"Honesty!"

"Loyalty!"

"Generosity!"

"Laughter!"

"Kindness!"

"Triceratops!"

In seven bright flashes of light, seven Power Rangers stood tall in front of the monster. The creature roared at the light and stepped forward as the Rangers summoned their weapons wordlessly. In unison, the equine Rangers leapt forward and started firing their summoned weapons and Element Blasters at the mechanical beast. Billy hung back as he knew attacking a mechanical beast with magical powers would be an exercise in futility. He was amazed at the ferocity of the Rangers – especially Fluttershy who was blasting the legs with her tail-mounted Tail Stinger. From his vantage point, he could see they were making some progress but it wasn't enough. The thick metal armour needed to be pierced by a charged energy weapon but he hadn't done the final calibrations on the Harmony Buster yet. A surge of energy in the wrong place and the combined weapon would take out Ponyville in an Elemental nuclear explosion…but that was the worse case scenario.

Stifled yelps from behind made him spin around and unholster his Blade Blaster. Thankfully, the damage that had been done to it was repaired by the Power and he converted it to Blade Mode without looking at the figures. Snapping his head up, he found himself looking at the distorted faces of four Z Centaurs that were surrounding the Apple Family, Spike and the strange olive pony that had started this whole mess. Exhaling in frustration, he leapt at the Centaurs while keeping a close eye on the monster battle.

"Keep it up, girls! We're wearing it down!"

Twilight launched another salvo of magically charged missiles and rolled her eyes at her statement. The only pony that seemed to be making any sort of progress on the thick armour of the monster was Pinkie Pie. The Pink Ranger's weapons were firing out all sorts of seemingly random projectiles that varied from acid bullets to energy pellets to mini-drills. Going cross-eyed at the very thought of _energy_ pellets, she breathed evenly and tried something that the Orange Ranger had taught her. Closing her eyes briefly, she channelled the Elemental Zeo energy that was coursing through her body into her Magic Launchers. Breathing slowly, she imagined the small missiles being infused with destructive power that could – theoretically – breach the dimensional walls. Snapping her eyes open, she let the next words literally fall out of her mouth.

"Magic Blast!"

To her amazement, twin streams of seemingly solid energy fired out of the Launchers and flew directly at Squeezer; barely missing Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. As the blasts impacted against the creature, it recoiled in pain and rage and bellowed out an inarticulate roar that shook the windows of Sweet Apple Acres. As the smoke cleared from the impact zone, the Purple Ranger could see the charged blasts had penetrated the armour and had destroyed some of the vicious blades within. Bolstered by Twilight's success, the other Rangers started to charge their blasters with Elemental Zeo energy; releasing torrents of powerful energy at the creature. The individual energy blasts ripped away its chest armour and all but destroyed its innards…but it kept moving despite leaking various oils and other…liquids. Twilight swallowed hard as a bloodied jawbone fell out of the gaping hole and clattered onto the ground.

"It's not working! What do we do?"

"Combine your weapons into the Harmony Buster! The blast should be able to destroy the monster but make sure the target is locked!"

Billy slammed his elbow onto the head of a Z Centaur as he shouted to the Rangers. He would finish the calibrations later but a successful field test would calibrate the weapon successfully anyway. As the third Z Centaur crumbled, he faced the final one and summoned his Power Lance. Separating it into its halves, he leapt at the creature and dodged what would have been an armour crushing kick. Successfully timing his next jump, he leapt onto the creature's back and stabbed both halves of his Lance into the back of its neck. As it reared up in pain, he jumped on its head and flipped away as it crumbled into dust. Walking up to the remains of the quartet, Applebloom gently nudged the remains with her tail and looked up at the exhausted Blue Ranger.

"Overkill much?"

He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by a shouting call from Twilight.

"Assemble Harmony Buster!"

As her shout faded, Twilight felt the weight of her Magic Launchers lift off her shoulders and combine into a Pegasus head. As she watched, the Flank Cannons of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Pinkie Pie joined together to form four forward facing leg cannons, 'wings' and main 'body'; the slightly smaller Gem Vulcan and Boomer Blaster forming the front legs and the larger Buckin' Cannons and the Lightning Cannon forming the back legs. Finally, Fluttershy's Tail Stinger attached itself to the rear of the weapon and rotated down so the muzzle of the Tail Stinger was facing forwards. The weapon hung in the air for a split second before the remaining parts from the Gem Vulcan and Tail Stinger combined to form a cloud-shaped base and a tripod-like stand for the Buster to rest on.

Rearing on her hind legs, Twilight placed her front hooves in the 'control sleeves' that were on the weapon and felt the rest of the team assume a slightly hexagonal formation behind her, with Applejack and Rainbow Dash on either side of her and Fluttershy at the end. Dipping her head down, she focused on the targeting screen in front of her and waited until the crosshair was over the gaping wound in the monster.

"Target Locked!"

She felt Applejack and Rainbow Dash brace for the recoil and nodded once to Billy. As with before, she allowed the words to come flying out of her mouth. For some reason, they felt…right.

"Element Storm!"

TBC…


	46. Tricksy

Chapter 46: Tricksy

"Damned Rangers!"

The shout from the sidelines could be heard over the massive explosion that signalled the destruction of the monster. Twilight disassembled the Harmony Buster and looked in the direction of the shout. Her eyes widened as she recognised the familiar features underneath the twisted and stretched flesh of the creature that walked out of the orchard. From the other gasps and sounds of surprise, she knew the others had recognised the creature as well. Flam had said that he saw Trixie transform their machine into the monster but even if she had sided with Zedd; that didn't explain the strange transformation the unicorn had gone through.

"Not good. She must have merged with Zedd when he first came through the wall."

Hearing Billy's voice, Twilight nodded once and looked at the once prideful unicorn to see the changes. The most obvious change was the shape of the body – now looking like a strange pony/crocodile cross. Her front hooves had changed into grasping hands and her back legs…looked like Lord Zedd's. The azure crocodilian was gripping a strange wand that resembled her Cutie Mark and was pointing it in the direction of the flaming wreckage of the monster. Narrowing her gaze, Twilight summoned and shot a blast of magic at the evil pony and smirked as she saw the wand fly out of the creature's hand. However, her mirth turned to horror as the creature's remains started twitching…and growing.

"You see, Tricksy always pleases her Master. Now he will be pleased when I kill you!"

Raging angrily, Tricksy ran at the six stunned Rangers in front of her but was knocked off her hooves by the other Blue Ranger. The biped was blocking her way and was gripping a short red blade of some kind. Hearing the shouts of the other Rangers, she turned her head to see them vanish in streaks of coloured light. She snarled as the ground quaked under her hooves signalling the arrival of the equine Harmony Zords. Jumping back to avoid a sudden attack, she summoned her wand from nearby and pointed it at Squeezer as she mumbled the arcane words her Master had taught her. Trowing her head back, she laughed as red bolts of energy impacted on her armour as she saw Squeezer mechanically go to work.

The sucking funnel extended over one of the new Monster Shelters that had been constructed and the suction started instantly. The Rangers watched from their Zords in growing terror as the Monster Shelter was deconstructed bit by bit until there was nothing left protecting the frightened ponies inside. From her Magic Harmonyzord, Twilight blasted Squeezer with powerful jets of fire that melted off its chest armour…and did nothing else. To her growing horror, she noted that the jets of flame had superheated the metallic blades inside its chest cavity – meaning that the ponies would be subjected to an added degree of pain. Shutting her eyes against the grisly sight, tears leaked from her eyes as the horrific shouts of pain began.

"Harmony Megazord: Omega Mode!"

Snapping her eyes open at the shout that hadn't come from any of her friends, she looked down to see Billy holding his left wrist up to his mouth. She was extremely grateful for the Blue Ranger's help and foresight to take control of the Zords as they were in no position to initiate the combination. As she felt the massive machine beneath her begin the transformation, she looked down to see how Billy was doing in his battle.

"Stand still you wretched Ranger! How is Tricksy supposed to destroy you?"

Billy smirked under his helmet and flipped away from another magic blast. Distracting the creature in front of him had been a rather easy task but he knew the battle was just starting. Looking over his shoulder, he could still see the terrified forms of Applejack's family and the salespony huddling behind the remains of the cider stand…as well as Applebloom's excited face as she attempted to cheer him on from the sidelines. Throwing them a half-hearted wave, he aimed his Blade Blaster at the creature and fired another blast. The searing bolt of energy ripped open the top of the reptile pony's head and smashed through the ridge of bone above her left eye. The bipedal magic user howled in pain and spun towards Billy. The Blue Ranger ducked a second too late and flew back as the spiked tail smashed into his chest. He let out a grunt of pain as he slammed into the remnants of the cider stand and looked around for where his opponent had gone. Seeing a blue and red light shoot off into the distance, he pounded the ground in frustration as his Ranger Armour dissolved in blue sparkles.

"Uh, Billy? D'ya want to do the explanations now or back in the Tower?"

A loud noise from above cut off his reply as they looked up to see the Harmony Megazord stagger back after a crushing blow from Squeezer. The massive Megazord was covered in deep slashes and scorch marks and the Rangers weren't attacking with as much vigour and strength as they usually did. Checking the portable Power Meter on his wrist, Billy exhaled slowly and reached into his personal subspace pocket for what he hoped would win the battle.

"VR System, on!"

In a small flare of light, a small platform appeared on the ground in front of him. Stepping onto the platform, two strange devices detached from the platform to hover at his sides. Lifting his communicator to his mouth, he contacted the Rangers.

"Girls, the controls will go slack and I will be taking control of the Megazord. You can rest for a while and mourn the losses. I will take care of the monster."

Expecting no replies, he cut off the communication and nodded to the empty air. The platform seemed to lengthen in front of him and an image formed in front of him of Squeezer. Unbeknownst to the civilians watching, it was a real-time 3D solid light image of the monster created from the same technology as the Ultra Rangers' Simul-Deck. Normally there would be no damage done to the monster but Weihan had modified the mini Simul-Deck for an additional feature. Billy closed his eyes and let a column of light completely envelop him, grimacing slightly as a strange crawling sensation was produced under his skin.

Upon opening his eyes, he saw himself looking at Squeezer from the 'eyes' of the Harmony Megazord. Glancing down, he could see his body still within the column of light and he smiled to himself as he recalled the words of the Ranger.

"_The new addition will temporarily connect your mind and consciousness to the Megazord. It is sort of like the psychic link used by the Aquitian Rangers but more advanced. Just move normally and the Zord will move as well. You will probably also unlock new weapons for the Zord…well, theoretically."_

Grinning broadly, he walked toward Squeezer purposefully; striding through the explosions unflinchingly. In the back of his mind, he noted that he was putting the Megazord through the paces of a real one-on-one battle and smirked as he pulled back a fist and slugged Squeezer's chest. As the mechanical monster staggered back, he followed up with another two punches and a roundhouse kick that slashed the creature with the wing blades on the Loyalty Zord. Swallowing hard, he vocalised a command that would end the battle quickly…and show the Rangers a new mode for the Sabre.

"Element Sabre, convert to Blaster Mode!"

Inside the cockpit, the grieving Rangers watched in amazement as the Element Sabre changed and transformed into a strange blaster that to Fluttershy's eyes looked like Weihan's Raptor Launcher. Feeling hope swell up in her heart once more, the Yellow Ranger looked and waited to see what would happen. She didn't have to wait long as the control panels in front of her started glowing with multicoloured light that strangely seemed to soothe her and tickle at her insides; causing her to squirm with a strange feeling of delight.

The world seemed to pause as a thick beam of Elemental and Morphin Energy began blasting from the muzzle of the Blaster Mode. Three words was all it took for the terror of Squeezer to be eliminated from Equestria completely.

"Harmonic Judgement, FIRE!"

TBC…


	47. Tricky Planning

AN: Bit of a short chapter to set up the next monster…enjoy!

Chapter 47: Tricky Planning

"You acted against the will of the Master and you will now die!"

Tricksy shrunk back against the angry screeching of Gilda. She had been tasked with a very secret mission by the Lord to test out the limits of her strengthened magic abilities; so secret that the orders had been given telepathically. Discord was in one of the back rooms doing something strange over a puddle of water and her Master was in the mood he usually got in when a monster was destroyed. The griffon in front of her was just blowing off a lot of hot air and frustration on not being able to 'get in on the action' as she liked to put it. However, her last battle had been a complete and utter humiliation – and she knew it.

"Gilda."

Lord Zedd's voice pierced the still air of the cavern and the humanoid griffon jerked back. Zedd stepped out of the shadows and walked around Tricksy, noting that she had her head bowed – as if in shame for her failure. Chuckling internally, he allowed the slightest bit of red light to shine from his body and noted with satisfaction that the crocodilian pony didn't flinch or shy away from his supposed anger.

Internally, Zedd was extremely proud of his servant. She had immense power that had only been strengthened and magnified by their merging and had proved herself to be a skilled animator of monsters. In fact, the now destroyed Squeezer had killed a large handful of civilians and sent the Rangers into a spiral of shock and depression that would have destroyed them…had the Blue Ranger not stepped in. They would probably be in a deep state of shock and depression for the next few weeks…if not months. It was perfect time to stage an attack but he didn't have any monsters on standby or that he could conjure up within a moment's notice. Gilda needed to prover herself to him and she knew it…maybe he would give her a special task of her own to accomplish in the next attack…

"Tricksy, raise your head."

The reptilian beast lifted her head and stared at her Master. Due to the fearsome mask he always wore, it was incredibly difficult to judge his mood; yet his voice seemed calm and controlled.

"You have shown me that I was correct in allowing you to live. The monster you created has dealt a crippling blow to the Rangers and they will be feeling its effect for the rest of their short lives. The time has come to prepare for our next attack and I know exactly what I will use…"

Chuckling loudly, he walked to the mouth of the cavern and looked out into the Everfree Forest. His gaze rested on multiple creatures before turning to a stone statue of an incredibly familiar pony. Although the evil that had possessed the creature had been destroyed, he could easily replace it with some power from his Dark Ultra Crystal. He would wait a few more days before attacking; yes, a few more days would be a full moon and also would be the holiday known as Nightmare Night.

They would expect an attack…but the monster would be…

TBC…

AN2: Coming up in later chapters: More Megazord configurations, dimensional kidnapping and a life or death situation with the Red Ranger!


	48. A Ranger's Tale

AN: Mini-ish clip show here. Enjoy!

Chapter 48: A Ranger's Tale

"What is going on here?"

Granny Smith couldn't believe it. She was in the presence of the Princess again after all these years and had found out her grand-daughter was part of a group of…superheroes. She hoped her heart could take the excitement but the old ticker was still good for a few more decades. What was more surprising was the sudden appearance of a strange bipedal creature that had destroyed all four of the strange horse creatures by himself. The biped had then produced some sort of doohickey that had allowed him to control a giant metal thing that was battling against the animated Flim Flam machine and destroy the other machine with…something. After that, she was swept away in a mass of colours and deposited in an incredibly long hall of some sort with strange contraptions lining the walls. Strangely, Applebloom didn't seem to be phased by the sudden location change and had raced to the side of her sister.

"Applejack, what's the matter? Billy, is mah sis gonna be all right?"

From his crouched position next to the Red Ranger, Billy sighed and shook his head once. He could see as plain as day that the Rangers were badly shaken up by the deaths they had seen. He had no doubt that they could easily bounce back from the sight…after they had a lot of counselling. Dimitria wasn't back from her meditation journey or wherever she was…which left him and the two Princesses to try to piece the Rangers back together. Moving onto Fluttershy, his heart sank as he saw the tears pooling in the yellow Pegasus' eyes. Death was always hard for anyone to take but it was doubly difficult for a Ranger as protecting the civilians was the whole point of becoming a Ranger. He longed to try to communicate with the other dimension as speaking with Weihan always seemed to cheer up Fluttershy but he knew the Orange Ranger probably had his own issues to deal with.

"Princess Celestia, can you fill in the Apples and…the other guy…about what's been happening?"

"No need to tell me, strange creature. I am perfectly happy not knowing any more than I already do."

Nodding his head, Billy looked over at the light olive pony and sighed. Like it or not, the pony would have to be filled in on the secret now and quite possibly moved to a place where his talents would be of use; somewhere the Princesses could keep an eye on him. He noticed a flashing light coming from the Communications Station and debated taking the call, but his love and friendship to the other Rangers made the choice easy for him as the light blinked off. Looping his arms under Applejack's belly, he lifted the Red Ranger onto one of the Med Beds and gently placed her onto its surface. The only sign of life from the Red Ranger was the slight quirking of the lips to indicate some sort of…smile. Ruffling her mane with a free hand, Billy turned to help the others while listening to the Princess weave the tale.

"Long ago, a great evil was born into a Universe. This evil was filled with a great internal power that caused those around it to flee in terror. After a long while, this evil would eventually set its sights on a blue and green sphere in space…only to be beaten back by the defenders of the world: the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Six native humans that had been granted incredible powers by an Interdimensional being named Zordon; they persevered through the attacks unleashed by the evil until their mentor heroically sacrificed himself to destroy evil from taking over the Universe."

Billy snorted silently to himself as he gently laid Rarity on the remaining Med Bed. The Princess was telling an extremely condensed and simplified version of the story to the three ponies. He was sure that even the elderly pony knew there was more to the tale but the other two seemed to be entranced by the story – the red one in particular. Nodding to Billy, Celestia continued.

"The cleansing wave produced by the sacrifice turned all evil around it to dust…except the Great Evil. The Evil managed to survive and bided its time until it could transport itself to Equestria. It decided that it would conquer the planet and remake its evil empire from another dimension. However, there was a Ranger that caught on to this plan. Gathering up the most powerful source of Power in his world, he set off on a journey to travel to Equestria and create the only thing that could stand up to this evil: Power Rangers."

Tapping a console lightly with a hoof, screens descended from the ceiling to show images of Billy working hard on the Powers. Biting back a groan of embarrassment, he saw himself extinguishing fires and working on the Zords…and even slightly mundane things like eating, sleeping and exercising. He was very aware of the barely stifled snickers coming from Applebloom and he spared the young filly a glance; choosing to try to animate the other Rangers. So far, the only Rangers that showed some sense of coming to their senses were Applejack, Twilight and Pinkie Pie. An explosion booming out from the speakers made him instinctively shield the Rangers with his body but he relaxed once he calmed his jittery nerves. From the slight smile on Applejack's face, he knew she was halfway back from her depression.

"Then came the day the Rangers were created. The attack on Ponyville came mere hours after the evil was able to break through the dimensional wall and would have been the beginning of the end…if six ponies hadn't been saved by the Ranger. These six were connected by a special bond that existed long before this fateful day; a connection forged by fate and by the Elements of Harmony. Although new dangers and enemies would appear before them; so would new allies that came from a different dimensional plane."

The images on the screens changed from the destruction of Ponyville to the first Morph of the Rangers; from Gilda and Discord to the Orange and Purple Ultra Rangers and their towering Dinozords. Fluttershy weakly moved her head in the direction of the Orange Ranger's image and Billy rolled his eyes as he realised the Yellow Ranger had a strong crush on the Orange Ranger. From what Applejack had told him, it seemed that her dimensional counterpart was very much in love with the young boy; despite the obvious age difference between them. Maybe one day they would spend a night or so together but he would have to be single and not in human form…otherwise it would get a bit messy.

"Our enemy is also known to us as the Evil Lord Zedd. Armed with powerful magic, he is not one to be trifled with. He was the one who broke Discord free from the prison I encased him in and sends giant monsters to attack us. Fortunately, the Rangers can also fight these giant battles with their Zords: giant fighting machines hoof created by the Ranger. As you have seen, they can combine to create the mighty Harmony Megazord – a towering warrior with six different modes."

Billy grimaced as Twilight's ear twitched. He would tell them about the other modes but the Princess had spoiled the surprise. At that statement, the Rangers were starting to come out of their shocked depression and blinked wearily as if coming out of a deep slumber. They would be exhausted and he hoped Zedd would stay quiet for the time being.

"The identities of the Rangers are a closely guarded secret and you must protect this secret with your life. The identities are as follows: Purple Magic – Twilight Sparkle; Green Generosity – Rarity; Pink Laughter – Pinkie Pie; Blue Loyalty – Rainbow Dash; Yellow Kindness – Fluttershy and Red Honesty – Applejack. The Ranger who created the Power Rangers' powers, Zords and all this technology is the Blue Mighty Morphin Power Ranger from Earth: Billy Cranston."

One by one, the Rangers lifted their heads as they heard their names. They were still in shock at seeing the brutal deaths of the innocents; but they would recover in due time. Nodding at them, the Princess finished her tale; beaming widely.

"I could not ask for a finer group of friends."

TBC…


	49. Nightmare's Moon

AN: Adapted from a story idea that didn't really pan out. Read the AN below only if you've read up to Chapter 112. More after the break! Enjoy!

Chapter 49: Nightmare's Moon

"After the past few weeks, this night just isn't scary anymore."

Pinkie Pie nodded at Rarity and looked around the brightly lit streets of Ponyville. Around them were foals running around dressed as vamp-ponies, Frankenmane's Monsters and even a few with hoof-made Power Ranger costumes. The annual 'holiday' of Nightmare Night had come around for another year and the citizens of Ponyville were wholeheartedly getting back into the spirit of things and were determined to not let the threat of actual monsters get in the way of their glee. Her smile dropped as she remembered the death and destruction she had seen just days before. There had already been funerals held for the ponies caught up in the battle and the actions of the Rangers had been called into question several times. It was almost enough to make the pink pony want to pout!

"I sure hope you-know-who doesn't spoil the fun tonight."

As she nodded, Rarity down at her Green Ranger costume, giggling as another foal stared at them with wide eyes. She had designed near-exact replicas of their morphed armour as Nightmare Night costumes and they fit perfectly. Of course, the only thing that was missing from the ensemble was the helmets but she didn't want to go that extra step just in case any connections were made. She knew that if any trouble arose they could just morph but in front of a crowd of civilians…well, they had to be extremely careful to make sure a repeat of the Squeezer…incident didn't happen again.

"Hey y'all! What's happening here?"

Applejack trotted over to her friends and beamed widely. After the talk she had with the Silver Ultra Ranger, she felt a whole lot better about her guilt and despair over the deaths of the ponies. She had also introduced Applebloom to her and she could instantly tell the young filly was entranced by the thought of being in a different dimension – as well as seeing the massive Ultra Dinozords in action. She wondered who would win in a battle between the Ultra Dino Megazord Beta and the Harmony Megazord. On one hoof the Ultra Dino Megazord Beta was a powerhouse and the dual sabres it wielded could easily rip through the Harmony Megazord's armour. On the other hoof; Princess Celestia had said something about the Harmony Megazord having six modes and if it could change on the fly…well, it would be an even match. She pushed the thoughts out of her head as Pinkie Pie bounded up.

"Happy Nightmare Night Applejack! We were just talking about the Power Rangers! They're so cool and powerful and with their flashy moves they can defeat anything! Then again, there's strange rumours going around of three other biped Rangers seen over the past few months but nopony has seen the first two for a long time and the new blue Ranger is strange but the Cakes think he's a hero but he doesn't have a Zord and you can't be a Ranger if you don't have a Zord. Maybe he'll have one in the future! I wonder what it'll look like; maybe a wolf or a dinosaur or a dragon…wait, that's Spike. Or maybe it'll be a biped wolf! That would be great! Wait, why is he glaring at me? I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!"

Applejack blinked once at the Pink Ranger's rambling and shook her head violently to expel the craziness from her mind. In truth, she was wondering about what Billy's Zord would look like as well but the recharged Powers weren't strong enough to sustain a Zord. She opened her mouth to reply when a sudden chill ran through her spine. Swallowing at the feeling, she nervously looked around the Square and saw that the Mayor was about to tell the young foals about the 'Legend of Nightmare Moon' with Zecora's help. In a flash, green smoke swirled around the hastily constructed stage and the foals shrieked in delight as two yellow eyes appeared in the thick smoke that would normally signal the arrival of Zecora.

"For destroying my might – your punishment is death!"

Bright beams of light lanced out of the cloud and stuck several ponies, causing them to fall over in pain. Quickly realising this was not part of the show, the Mayor attempted to calm the crowd but was cut off by a very familiar black and blue sparkling cloud wrapping around her and cutting off her air supply. Out of the fleeing crowd shot out three beams of blue, purple and yellow; causing the panicked ponies to pause as they stared at the Rangers that had suddenly appeared within their midst. The trio exchanged glances and ducked into a nearby alley to morph; emerging after the sequence was complete. Firing their Element Blasters at the blue and black cloud, they forced it away from the Mayor…where it reformed to reveal a terrifyingly familiar shape.

She was the same as they had last seen her – extremely dark blue fur, silver-azure armour and the strange cat-like eyes that seemed to bore into your very soul. As the figure laughed loudly, Twilight Sparkle held firm as the Mayor scurried away. Memories of the Summer Sun Celebration flashed through her mind and she was sure that the mare in front of them was nothing more than a fake illusion. As if sensing the thoughts running through her mind, the figure spoke with the same strangely silky and seductive tone.

"Why, yes, my little ponies; I have come back from the great beyond to wreak havoc on your peaceful little lives! You didn't really think the piddling Elements of Harmony would keep me away forever…right?"

"Rangers, she's not me! I mean it's what I looked like before but…it's a construct from Zedd!"

Applejack nodded in response, although the Princess of the Night couldn't see her. She knew the very moment she saw the black cloud and yellow eyes that the creature wasn't really the Mare in the Moon. The evil had been extinguished into nothingness by the Elements of Harmony more than a year ago. Although, if the old legends Twilight had told them about were correct…she mentally shook those thoughts out of her mind. She lowered her head and prepared to charge as the mare spoke again.

"Nightmare Moon is back…and you will all die!"

TBC…

AN2: Originally, Luna was supposed to switch sides and become Nightmare Moon again and then it would have been revealed as a ploy to gather intelligence on Zedd's plan to convert the Ninjetti Rangers into the Dark Rangers. Unfortunately, I didn't have a better conclusion to that arc other than "it was all a trap by Zedd and Discord and Billy was able to warn Luna that Dimitria had switched sides." It would have lasted from just after Billy becomes the Acceptance Ranger to pretty much the day before the first attack (that included Discord battling Celestia). 'Cause in this AU, Discord was sealed away after Nightmare Moon was.


	50. Night Of Nightmares

AN: Nightmare Moon has returned! Or has she?

Pinkie Note: Hey! You've written fifty chapters of this story! How many more chapters until [Censored]? Huh? I can't say [Censored]? Let's see…Cherrychanga, Chimicherry, Chimicherrychanga, [Censored]! Darn!

AN: *stares openmouthed* Pinkie…who let you in…*headdesk* Enjoy…

Chapter 50: Night of Nightmares

Ten minutes had gone by and Ponyville was wrecked…again.

Fluttershy pushed all fear out of her mind as she swerved away from the debris being thrown by the fake Nightmare Moon. Locking onto the evil mare, she fired her Element Blaster at her and watched the energy bolts bounce off the shining armour. She could hear Princess Luna's shocked stammering as she gazed upon the creature she had been and Celestia's attempts at calming her panicked sister down. The Pegasus didn't think that the thing in front of them was the real Nightmare Moon…how could it be? The evil had been purified by the concentrated blast of the Elements of Harmony and Luna herself had confirmed that all residual evil had been completely blasted away by repeated exposure to the Zeo Crystal. Summoning her Tail Stinger, she fired off four shots of concentrated Grid Energy at the mare who still haunted her nightmares.

"You foal; those attacks will not hurt me!"

True to her word, the energy blasts were absorbed by the impostor Nightmare Moon. The Yellow Ranger squeaked in surprise as the evil alicorn channelled magic through her horn and blasted it at her. Rolling in a barrel roll, Fluttershy was able to avoid the majority of the blasts…except the one that smashed into her left wing. Squeaking in pain and surprise, Fluttershy felt herself falling fast only to be caught by a spell of Twilight's. Nodding her thanks to her leader, Fluttershy stumbled to the sidelines and resigned herself to opportunistic blasts while waiting for her wing to heal.

Twilight waited until Fluttershy was under adequate cover before firing three blasts of magic from her Magic Launchers and Element Blaster. Impacting against the hide of the doppelganger, Nightmare Moon screeched in surprise as she whirled around to stare down at the Purple Ranger. Eyes flaring with dark energy, she lowered her head and charged at Twilight with the intent of spearing the nuisance's head. Thinking quickly, Twilight leapt over Nightmare Moon's charging form while co-ordinating cannon attacks from the other Rangers. The dark alicorn howled as she was assaulted from all sides by destructive bolts of Grid Energy; finally exploding in a burst of fire and black smoke. Waving a hoof in front of her muzzle, Twilight slowly walked over to the spot where the monster had been and opened up a communications channel.

"Princess; the monster has been destroyed and we're coming back to the Command Tower now."

"That's what _you_ think!"

Twilight only had enough time to jerk her head up in surprise as the first of the energy bolts impacted the ground around her feet. Peering up through the cloud of dust; her eyes widened as she saw Nightmare Moon plummeting from the sky. Yelping in surprise, she rolled to one side and unleashed a concentrated blast with her Magic Launchers. Pumping a hoof in victory as the destructive energy lanced through the form of Nightmare Moon; she turned away just in time to hear a seductive low laugh that chilled her to the core. Leaping to one side, the ground where she had been just moments ago exploded in a burst of fire as yellow balls of energy were blasted from a clump of debris.

"Twilight, stop firing! Damn! Stop firing!"

Grounding her teeth together in frustration, Twilight turned off her communications channel and fired a strong volley at the direction of the shots. Smugly smiling at a wail of pain, she was caught off guard as a figure tackled her from behind. Rolling on the ground, she shook her head in utter shock as she saw Nightmare Moon standing over her – seemingly undamaged after all the magic attacks. The evil pony looked down at the helpless Ranger with her green eyes and channelled red energy into her front hooves that paralysed her body. Trying to fight this new attack by Nightmare Moon, Twilight focused energy into her horn and fired a thin beam of magic that barely missed Nightmare Moon's head. Struggling more, she focused more power to her head and to her shock was able to fire a blast of energy from the rim around her visor. Her jaw dropped in shock as Nightmare Moon tumbled off her and lay still in a cloud of dust.

Wiping a layer of condensation off her helmet, the Purple Ranger stood in the middle of the Square and looked around for her friends. Her ears perked up as she picked up on two sets of hooves galloping towards her position. Jumping up, she glanced down to see two Z Centaurs pass below her with extreme force. Landing on the ground, she saw the two grunts swerve and saw twin flares of pink and green light as they charged up their chest gems for a blast. Summoning up her magic, she teleported behind the Centaurs and fired off everything on her body that could be fired off in some form or another. Her Magic Launchers, Element Blaster and new visor laser fired out a strong blast of magical fire at the two Z Centaurs and engulfed them in a massive explosion that temporarily lit up the surroundings.

"Well, that was a pleasant surprise."

Twilight Sparkle felt her blood turn to ice as Nightmare Moon's voice washed over her ears. Swallowing hard, she turned around to see the corrupted mare leaning on her hind legs against a destroyed section of the Town Hall. Her front hooves were clapping in a slow mockery of applause and her horn was glowing slightly. Stopping in her applause, she fell onto all fours and seductively walked towards the Purple Ranger. Twilight could see all manner of warnings flashing on her visor but kept her gaze steady and tried to keep a lid on the growing dread that was growing in the pit of her stomach. As the evil mare circled her, Twilight could keep her curiosity and fear secret no longer.

"What did you do? What did you make me do?"

Nightmare Moon threw her head back and laughed as thunder rumbled overhead.

"Me? What did _I_ make _you_ do? Oh, little foal; I didn't do anything to you! You did all of this on your own! It's impressive what one can do when a little shadow manipulation is used."

Twilight's eyes widened and she looked to the still bodies of the Nightmare Moon clones. The skin of the clones seemed to warp and melt off; revealing the other Rangers in various states of injury. Twilight's mind went blank as her eyes drifted over the injuries she had unwittingly inflicted on her friends. The very shadows seemed to morph into leering faces of unworldly creatures…all laughing at her pain. Shadow hands caressed her helmet and body lovingly as she felt her world fall apart.

"What…what did I do? Applejack? Rainbow? Fluttershy…I did all this to you?"

Her voice increased in pitch as her mind shut down. Nightmare Moon had – in one fell swoop – managed to defeat the Power Rangers and leave her in a position where she could easily be killed. However, one small, stubborn part of her mind refused to shut down; instead choosing to look at the situation with as much rationality as it could muster. Nightmare Moon's forte wasn't manipulating shadows and while she could create convincing illusions, the history books hadn't said anything about being able to hold up the illusion while under fire of any sort. Unfortunately, the pressures from the other sections shutting down were too great and the small section shut down as well…but not before a small question found its way out of Twilight's lips.

"You're not Nightmare Moon…who are you?"

The Nightmare Moon monster laughed once more but its laughter changed from strangely seductive to low and hissing. Her head melted into a mound of inky darkness and a strange half-helmet soon emerged from its depths. The visor on the helmet was shaped to emulate a gaping mouth filled with jagged teeth…but the rest of the body was still in its Nightmare Moon form. Twilight felt her body begin teleporting out and she struggled against it for as long as she could…trying to hear the monster's quiet reply.

"Correct. I am not the pathetic insect you called Nightmare Moon. I am much greater and hold far more power than she ever had!"

Twilight felt the teleportation beam's pull become too great and fell limp; the last line from the creature following her all the way into blissful oblivion.

"Call me…Creeper."

TBC…


	51. Shadow Psycho

Chapter 51: Shadow Psycho

"What the hell was that?"

Lord Zedd raged in the cavern as he saw his meticulously plotted plan go completely schizophrenic. Tricksy had pointed out the stone statue of Nightmare Moon on the outskirts of Ponyville and informed him it would be a good monster. He had agreed as the weapons of the Rangers wouldn't be able to penetrate the hardened granite of the statue and would exhaust every option they had while it walked all over them. Even the Blue Ranger would be helpless as it pounded on him with rocky hooves. Zedd would have made it grow then and there and allowed it to trample over the Rangers and destroy their Zords completely. If they managed to somehow snag the so-called 'Ultra' Rangers' help, he would bind their Zords to the earth with his Dark Crystal and watch in glee as they fell under his power.

However, everything had gone pear-shaped the very second he used his magic to animate the statue. A split second after his beam had _touched_ the stone surface, it had been swatted away by something that had looked like a hand made out of shadow…if such a thing were possible. The…shadow hand…had then absorbed itself into the statue and it had changed into a near-perfect copy of the evil known as Nightmare Moon before taking off in a black blur towards Ponyville. Zedd grudgingly admitted that the plan of the strange shadow-beast was a stroke of genius – using the shadows to cast illusions and alter voices of the other Rangers and force the Purple Ranger to fire upon them was a diabolically evil plan. The Purple Ranger's spirit would be crushed and she would all but flee from the Rangers in shame.

"I take it you approve?"

Zedd whirled around in surprise and raised his staff as Gilda and Discord appeared in front of him; ready to defend their master from whatever threat was before them. For her part, Tricksy hung back but clutched her wand a bit tighter as she prepared a random spell but let the magical energies vanish as she saw the creature step out from the shadows. It was a humanoid – of that Zedd was sure – but it was clad in a strange black cloak that seemed to be transparent and opaque at the same time. It held a small sickle in one shadowy hand and its legs never seemed to touch the ground. The most striking feature of the figure was its face; it was as wrinkled as a raisin yet held a malicious gleam in its eyes that spoke of unspeakable things. Its lips pulled back in a rictus smile to show an opaque void with the barest hints of teeth. At the sound of beating wings behind him, Zedd glanced back to see the strange Nightmare Moon beast touch down with feather-light grace.

"I would approve more if you told me your plan and what Hell hole you crawled from."

The shadow being skulked towards Zedd and laughed throatily, resting its sickle on its shoulder with relaxed indifference. Zedd felt his anger steadily rise at the insolence shown but tried to keep it from showing. His brain pulsed rapidly and hot breath escaped his grille as the shadow humanoid lay back on the shadow Nightmare Moon.

"You should know who I am, but I will tell you one more time. Mein name ist Creeper and as you are no doubt aware; I am…not exactly from around these parts."

Zedd lowered his staff in surprise as he heard the German coming from the creature as well as finally noticing the strange dimensional particles floating around its body. He snorted and shook his head. So the creature was from a different dimension…that meant nothing to him except there was a great chance that Rangers from that dimension would be coming soon to destroy their wayward monster. When they did…he could use that opportunity to crush another set of Rangers as well.

"That tells me nothing useful. Who are you and who is your enemy?"

The same hissing laughter came from the humanoid in front of it and it brought out a strange onyx gem that was barely distinguishable from the hand it was gripped in…even with the aid of the bright full moon. As it lifted the gem into the air, it muttered a few words under its breath and a cocoon of energy wrapped around it. Zedd stared at the cocoon and was aware that the creature wasn't a normal monster…but some sort of Power Ranger. The idea that it would be pursued by other Rangers was fading fast but there was always a possibility…and if those Rangers were the Ultra Rangers...well, there was no point in worrying about what might happen in the future. Motioning for Discord and Gilda to stand down, the stepped back from the inevitable Power runoff to view the morphed form of the creature in front of him.

"Ultra Psycho Black – Creeper!"

Lord Zedd circled the Ultra Psycho Ranger warily and resigned himself to seeing the powerful Ultra Rangers yet again. The golden breast-plate of the Ranger was adorned with the realistic image of bloodstained fangs and a short cape unrolled from the base of its neck; much like the Mystic Force Rangers. He drank in the overwhelmingly evil aura of the Ultra Psycho Ranger and shivered in pleasure at the mere thought of having the Ranger under his command. As if hearing his thoughts, Creeper swung his head towards the alien warlord and shook it once.

"Do not get any ideas. I am here for my pleasure and enjoyment only. Get in my way and I will leave you a smear on the ground. You have already seen a small glimpse of what I can do."

"Then why reveal yourself to me? There is a chance that I will inform the Rangers of who you are and what you plan to do."

Creeper snorted as Zedd bristled with fury. True, the threat to inform the Rangers of Creeper's plan had been an empty threat but the Ultra Psycho Ranger was pushing all the wrong buttons. His anger faded away when he felt a shadowy hand sink into his chest and grip all three of his hearts at once. Nodding in forced acceptance, he breathed a sigh of relief as the hand withdrew and was absorbed back into the Nightmare Moon look-alike.

"You are an even bigger fool than your counterpart. The reason I am telling you this is precisely so you will stay out of my way and _not_ inform the Rangers of your dimension. I am a fisherman looking for a great catch and your Rangers are nothing more than the chum that comes before the great shark."

Discord spoke up; asking the question that was on Zedd's mind.

"And who, exactly, is your 'great catch' going to be?"

"Who else but the Orange Ranger?"

TBC…


	52. Unworthy

AN: And we're back after a few days. More Twilight emotional trauma coming up later! Enjoy!

Chapter 52: Unworthy

Twilight curled up into a ball and tried to block out the noises around her.

She had badly injured her friends in an effort to defeat what she had thought of as a revived Nightmare Moon. Princess Luna had told them that the creature hadn't been real but she hadn't listened. Her friends were all injured and it was all her fault. No amount of convincing could tell her otherwise as she had seen the results of her actions. All those burns and wounds…willingly inflicted on her friends; it would be slightly better if she had been under some evil spell as it would have taken the edge off the guilt and self-loathing. She could hear shouts and frantic communications but they seemed to be coming from underwater. She heard the snap-hiss of the Dimensional Doorway opening but that also seemed to be coming from underwater and from a great distance away.

Yes, a retreat would be a good idea. She would flee from the area and live in the mountains of Austallion as a recluse. The Princesses would want the Power back to give to a more worthy Ranger; somepony who could differentiate between friend and foe in the middle of battle. She shied away from a hand that was placed on her head and continued to cry as she heard muffled voices. A great shudder went through her body as she sensed a large amount of magic being used nearby…probably the start of the spell to take her Powers away. That was a good idea as she had shown that she was clearly a danger to herself and those around her. Her eyes squeezed tighter together as she waited for the ripping sensation of her Powers leaving her body…but felt nothing. Carefully lifting up one ear from its flattened position on her head, she held her breath at the voices she heard.

"Were you aware Creeper could manipulate shadows like that? Putting one image over another?"

"No; he didn't use that the last time. Then again, the last time was in the middle of an open field with little to no obvious shadows he could have used. A battle at night would have had a worse outcome. Damn, I should have seen this coming."

The voice was very familiar but sounded very strained and tired…but it couldn't be him. She couldn't let him see her in this state; not when she had all but reassure him that she would be fine. She heard steps coming close to her and she shut her eyes and flattened her ears against her head. He would see her as the failure she was for allowing her friends to be hurt by her own weapons and…there was a hand on her head again, lightly smoothing down her frazzled mane. She tried to squirm away again but her body wouldn't allow her to do so. She felt incredibly tired and wanted to sleep – a feeling that was magnified by the warm sensation coming from her body. Her muscles relaxed and she slowly uncurled from her foetal position and dropped off into a deep and healing sleep.

Looking down at the sleeping pony below him, Weihan shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He instantly could tell that the Purple Ranger had gone through some extreme amount of mental trauma – a theory that had been confirmed when Billy and the Princesses had explained to him the situation. Turning back to the Med Beds, he sighed again and steadied himself on a nearby support column. Expending his energy to heal all five Rangers had been a massive undertaking but it was worth it to see them not covered in horrific burns and wounds…then again he might have overdone it a bit. Shaking his head to clear the dizziness that threatened to send him crashing to the ground, he picked up the sleeping unicorn and carried her to a nearby cot.

"It's not your fault."

Turning around, he saw Princess Luna walk towards him. Her sister was conferring with Billy and a recently returned Dimitria about what should be done next now that they had an Ultra Ranger on their side. He waited until the Princess of the night came up against him and nodded once, his voice full of heaviness.

"I know it's not my fault. It's not Twilight's fault either but I don't think she knows it."

"How could she not know it? The monster tricked her and forced her to fire on her friends."

He looked down at Twilight's sleeping form and brushed her mane back from her face. A sigh came from his lips and he shook his head once more; realising that he would have to put Twilight back together piece by piece. To be turned evil and injure your friends was one thing but this…this was another thing altogether. It wasn't a simple spell on an object that caused everyone to look like Putties or even a temporary mind control spell that forced you to retrieve something potentially deadly in the hands of Evil. Balling his hand into a fist, he swore that he would personally destroy Creeper for the anguish and suffering inflicted.

"She didn't know that they were her friends. All she saw was Nightmare Moon supposedly escaping from her attacks – even though she saw them hit. It was a manipulation of shadows and magic…but there's one thing out of all this mess that you should be grateful of."

Princess Luna cocked her head to one side. What did the Orange Ranger mean; that there was something to be grateful about? She saw only destruction, horrible injuries and an evil she thought she had been freed from. She yearned for a chance to take on the monster one-on-one but knew that it was out of her hooves. With strength that formidable; even the added power of her sister would not be enough to defeat that creature that had so easily used the shadows to cause the strongest pillar of strength the Rangers had to crumble. She turned to ask him what they had to be grateful about when he suddenly collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

Billy and her sister raced to help Luna in lifting the Orange Ranger onto a nearby cot, where the dark furred alicorn watched the steady rise and fall of the dimensional Ranger's chest. She saw the tiredness on his face slowly be smoothed away as the Ranger fell deeper into the soothing embrace of sleep; but still wondered what it was that they had to be grateful for. Turning away, she felt a strange sensation in her mind and could hear a voice starting to make itself be heard. Judging from the looks of surprise and shock on those around her, she knew that it wasn't just her that it was happening to.

_Be grateful that it wasn't one of the other Psychos._

TBC…


	53. Twilight Therapy

AN: Depressed Twilight = Lesson Zero Twilight but with less paedophilic undertones. Enjoy!

Chapter 53: Twilight Therapy

"Open the door!"

He opened his eyes and felt an incredible sense of déjà vu wash over him as he stared up at the ornately decorated ceiling above him. Judging from the sun streaming in through the windows, it was either mid or late morning – meaning he had been asleep for the past few hours. He started to sit up when he became aware of something resting on his stomach. Looking down, he cocked an eyebrow in surprise as he took in the small form of Applejack's little sister, Applebloom, sleeping soundly. Shaking his head with a small smile on his face, he gradually became aware of somepony hammering on a door nearby.

"Come on Twilight! Open the door! We're your friends!"

Carefully lifting the sleeping filly off him, he slid off the cot and placed Applebloom down. Stretching his arms in front of him to release the stress and tension in his muscles, he walked down the hall to a rather strange sight. All of the Rangers, Billy and both Princesses were standing around a door that seemed to have been locked and magically sealed shut. Rainbow Dash was pounding on the door; apparently taking over from a visibly exhausted Pinkie Pie. Walking up to Princess Celestia, he opened his mouth to speak when Pinkie noticed him and visibly perked up…well, as much as she was able to.

"Weihan! Please, you have to help us! Twilight is in her room and she locked herself in and we don't know what's going on! We're trying to get her out but we can't and we need her cause she's the leader and she's our friend! There was a battle last night which we fought in but the monster covered us in some sort of shadowy goo that made us look and sound like mini-Nightmare Moons! We were attacked by Twilight accidentally but you healed us and then collapsed and Applebloom decided to see what sleeping on a human would be like and since you're here, she's still sleeping and you gotta help us get her out!"

Heads turned to look at him as he struggled to process the information in the ramblings of the pink pony. Squeezing his eyes shut, he almost wished he was back in the icy prison he had been encased in a few days ago. Painfully aware that all eyes were on him, he sighed to himself and nodded once. The cyan Pegasus moved out of the way as he placed a hand on the door; closing his eyes as he tried to scan for a weak link in the magic. He also stretched out with his mind in an attempt to communicate to the emotionally shattered unicorn.

_Twilight, please. If you can't let anyone else in, just let me come in._

He waited for a reply as he found a small weak point in the defence. Joy turned to mild frustration as the small weakness was covered up by more magic. He was about to pour his own magic into the locking spell to break it…when a small mental voice made him – and everyone around him – pause.

_**Weihan? You're really there? Come in…wait. I'll bring you in!**_

Weihan nodded once and opened his mouth to reply…but found himself inside the dark room within a few seconds. Carefully looking around the room, he saw Twilight Sparkle in a corner looking like Death warmed over. There were visible bags under her eyes and some parts of her mane were sticking out at odd angles. The most disturbing sight were her eyes; horribly contracted pupils that looked unnervingly out of place…and yet seemed disturbingly normal compared to the forced and frozen rictus grin on her face. The idea of being in a room with a clearly deranged Ranger wasn't a thought he wanted bouncing around in his mind…but it was there and he had a job that needed to be done.

"Twilight. Look at me."

"I'm looking at you."

He tried to suppress a shudder at the hollowed voice that issued from her throat. Twilight was teetering on the edge of sanity and he had to do whatever he could to pull her back before she was lost to them forever. Slowing his breathing to match hers, he took a few steps forward and crouched down in front of her. Slowly, he waved a finger back and forth in her field of vision until her glassy eyes began following it. Keeping the motion going, he slowly reached up with his free left hand and placed his palm on her head. Her ears twitched at the feeling, but he continued; keeping his voice low and talking as slowly as he could.

"Twilight. Your friends are out there and they are worried about you."

"How can they be my friends after what I did to them? I blasted them and wounded them…they were at the brink of death because of me. If…if you hadn't come along…"

He inhaled slowly and spoke again.

"You know it's not your fault. You couldn't have known the monster would do that. Remember what I told you earlier? You may be the leader, but you can't foresee everything that will happen."

She blinked once and her eyes focused on his face. He grinned internally but kept his face as neutral as he could. Moving his left hand slowly, he attempted to smooth down her mane as much as he could as she slowly relaxed. He said nothing as he smoothed her mane and fur as she would talk when she was ready. The only problem he could see in the future would be running out of areas to smooth down. Smoothing down the mane was one thing, as was smoothing down most of her body…except that pesky area on her hindquarters which he didn't want to think about as he didn't want to know what _that_ felt like.

"I should've been able to see it."

He continued to keep his silence and remembered what Trini had said – the best thing one could do was to figure out the underlying cause of the problem before tackling it head on. The only problem was the problem was inside Twilight's head and only she alone knew what the cause was. She continued speaking; utterly oblivious to the world around her.

"Nightmare Moon was destroyed and her evil was purified by the Elements of Harmony. I should have known there was no way she could have returned and certainly no way Lord Zedd could have resurrected her. Still, I charged in without even thinking about all the other options. I led my team into a trap which I triggered and now…"

She let the sentence trail off as her eyes slowly closed. When they opened again, he was relieved to see that her pupils had returned to normal and her rictus grin was showing signs of relaxing. With a pang in his heart, he realised that the purple unicorn in front of him blamed herself not for falling for the monster's trick but for hurting and, in her eyes, failing her friends. He wished he knew what else to say to her to smooth over the damage that had been done…but he didn't have the experience with anything like this. He didn't know what it was like to unwillingly hurt others and prayed he would never experience the inner pain she was going through.

"And now; I don't know what to do. I want to run away and hide but I can't; I want to give up my powers but I can't and I want…I…I don't know what I want."

She looked up at the human with teary eyes and his heart went out to her. Smoothing down the last of her mane, he let out the breath he had been holding since seeing her in her depressed and slightly insane state. The look in her eyes told him she had backed away from the brink on her own but needed support to stay away…and although he wished it otherwise – he couldn't give her that support. Licking his lips, he opened his mouth to speak to her in the same slow and neutral tone of voice.

"Twilight, I know what you're yearning for. You realise the next time you face Creeper you won't be alone? I will be right next to you when he attacks."

The small unicorn shook her head violently and he sighed. He didn't know much about Creeper's battle strategies but had a strong feeling that the Ultra Psycho Ranger had somehow split himself into two entities and if the Purple Ranger were to face them both alone…well, the outcome wouldn't be pretty.

"I know you don't want to see them, but your friends are outside. They're worrying themselves sick over you. Twilight Sparkle, please for your sake as well as theirs – don't run away."

The Ranger took in a shuddering breath and nodded once. Exhaling slowly, the unicorn released the powerful magic locks that had held the door shut and spoke in a voice filled with emotion that gradually increased in volume until the final shout.

"I…the door is unlocked. I will defeat this monster on…no; I will defeat it with the help of my friends!"

At her shout, the door splintered open to reveal the other ponies that raced into the room to see if she was all right. Weihan hung back from the group of friends and felt Billy come up next to him. Giving the Blue Ranger a weary grin, he looked at the group of friends once more and spoke; his tone grim and hard.

"We need a plan. Now."

TBC…


	54. Scouting Plan

AN: Unlike The Ultra Crystals Ch 54, there's no world-wide genocide in this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 54: Scouting Plan

"There's gotta be a better way than this."

Weihan looked down at his body and snorted in annoyance. Billy was next to him but he looked more at ease…which was something that irked him greatly. A much calmer and less visibly stressed Twilight trotted over to him and stifled a giggle at his new appearance before nudging Applejack in an attempt to get the cowpony to stop looking at his Cutie Mark…or so she claimed. After the morning's antics had died down, Billy and the Princesses had called a brainstorming session on what could be done to ensure that the next battle with the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger would be the last. Weihan had opted for a personal recon trip into Ponyville to see what the vantage points were and what areas had to be avoided. He very much doubted Creeper would work the same as the Blue Ultra Psycho and the most recent news from his dimension had made him glad he had infused his double with two weeks of magic.

The Green Ultra Psycho Ranger – Nekros – had publicly announced himself and infected the CBD with plague spores of some kind. So far, the plague spores were harmless but Nekros had assured that they would become deadlier as time went on. The Sydney CBD was in lockdown quarantine and that included St Andrews. The only people who seemed to be immune to the spores were the other Ultra Rangers and his magical double but they were trying to hash out a cure. The only problem was that they were restricted to the confines of St Andrews House and could only teleport to the Ultra Cavern when they were alone or in the dead of night. It was only a matter of time before the Green Psycho Ranger was destroyed and Weihan had authorised use of everything they had to destroy the undead Ranger. With nothing left to do, he had absently wondered how he would see the shadows of Ponyville from the night…which led to the alicorns and unicorns casting a very 'special' spell on him.

He threw his head back and looked down. Billy had explained that the sensation took a small amount of time to get used to but everything in his body was screaming at him to walk upright…and not on all four hooves. At least the horn on his head didn't obscure his field of vision that much and his orange fur didn't contrast that much with his red and black streaked mane. Through some quick experimentation, he found out that he could still channel fire into his front and hind hooves and shoot out blasts of fire from his horn. Manipulating objects required a bit more concentration but he had been told that if he was hit by a stronger magical attack or even a strong blow from a monster; the spell would unravel and he would be transformed back into a human. He looked at the royal blue unicorn Billy had been changed into and fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"I could have morphed and walked the streets or something."

"Not a good idea considering the realistic details on your helmet. You would probably be seen as a monster yourself. It's better if you and Billy are seen with us as you will be more likely to be welcomed into the community."

The transformed Ranger looked at the purple unicorn and nodded his head. At least he knew what the strange mark on his butt meant from his previous trip but he didn't realise it would look so…apt. His Cutie Mark was an orange shield that was shaped like his Ultra Crystal. The shield was in front of a green and blue circle that represented the Earth and all inhabitants on it. While it was a very good image that accurately reflected his internal feelings, he didn't know if Rangering was his special talent and was slightly insulted by the implied fact that he wasn't good at anything else.

"Do not worry about it. A pony's Cutie Mark shows the unique talent that sets all ponies apart from each other. You can see your Cutie Mark as your will and determination in protecting your planet and the ones you love."

Nodding at Princess Celestia, Weihan sighed to himself and walked over to where the Pegasus-drawn chariot was waiting. While the initial plans had been to teleport to a secluded alley in Ponyville and see the sights from there, Twilight had informed him that - save for a few places – all alleys in Ponyville were overlooked by windows. The next suggestion had been from the Princess of the Day, who had suggested that he and Billy disguise themselves as adventurer ponies that were in town to stock up for a dangerous mission to the lands of Draconis. The dimensional Ranger had wondered what about Draconis made it seem so dangerous but Princess Luna had informed him the reason why most ponies shied away from it. The thought of a land filled with nothing but dragons was a bit unsettling to him; but he guessed it would provide a good explanation if they didn't return. On the other hoof, Spike was a dragon and he had never been to Draconis.

"Who are you and what are you doing coming to my personal chariot?"

Blinking at the harsh voice coming from behind them, Weihan turned his head to look at a light purple Earth Pony with a deep violet mane. The Cutie Mark on the pony was a strange set of curved triangles that were placed close by to each other – as if they were imitating claw scratches. The pony walked closer to them and although he backed away, he inwardly snorted in dismay as he felt the arrogance rolling off the pony in waves.

"Don't you know who I am? I am the one who finds excitement in my style to the limit of my will! Iron Will!"

Stepping away from the clearly deranged pony, Weihan bowed his head as both a sign of respect and apology…and as a way to hide his mirth at hearing the slight Japanese accent in his voice. As the Pega-chariot containing the strange pony lifted off, he heard Twilight come up next to him and uncharacteristically blow a raspberry at the chariot.

"He's actually some sort of master of self-confidence and inner strength. Fluttershy saw him a while back…but it didn't end well. Thankfully, she cast off his outdated ideals soon enough but he continues to hold onto them as he's Japonese."

He shook his head in wonder as Billy burst out laughing next to him. He had a strange feeling there was more to Iron Will than met the eye but he neither had the time or patience to find out what it was. Turning to Twilight, Applejack and Billy, he squared his shoulders and nodded once.

Time for the scouting to begin.

TBC…

AN2: Yes, my version of Iron Will is (hilariously) based on Fukami Gou from Gekiranger. Even managed to put the roll call phrase in there!


	55. Mortar

AN: Monster creation and foreshadowing. Rangers of Equestria will be taking a nose-dive into the realm of the unsettling very soon. Enjoy…while you still can.

Chapter 55: Mortar

He was still in a bad mood.

Lord Zedd sat on his throne and looked at the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger practice his blade-work with two daggers that were seemingly made up of the purest shadow. For the past day, there had been no activity from the Rangers; save for an appearance in Ponyville where all of them had been seen fully healed. To make matters worse, a strange unicorn with a familiar Power signature had been seen with them in their walk around town. From the Power signature, Zedd knew that the unicorn was none other than the Orange Ultra Ranger that Creeper had come to destroy for some slight. He was sure that the so-called Ultra Psycho Ranger had sensed the Orange Ranger's presence…but yet he continued to do nothing or even give out some information on his attacking strategy.

"If you don't attack soon, I will have to send down a monster to keep them busy!"

The Black Ranger shrugged and continued to practice his attacks. Zedd growled to himself and looked to the most shadowy corner of the Cavern to where the shadowy form of the Nightmare Moon statue was apparently resting. That monster would be of no help as she only listened to the shadowy being that was her Master. Shaking his head in resignation, he summoned an object into his hands. It was a strange weapon with three parts – a barrel, a base plate and a short bipod stand. To the native Equestrians around him, it looked like a silly object and something that wouldn't be likely to cause much damage to anything. However, Zedd knew what it was capable of and it was a weapon that had been plucked from the battlefield so he knew it was in good operating order.

Zedd wasn't stupid. He knew why Creeper had tricked the Purple Ranger into firing on her friends and he commended it as a good strategy for demoralising and destabilising the Rangers. However, he was in charge of what went on in his Cavern of Evil – as Discord had started calling it – and he wasn't about to let some upstart dimensional evil Ranger tell him what to do. He wanted to crush a united front of Rangers…not a group of splintered and snivelling ponies. Crushing them at their strongest would send a message to all opposition that he was the one that had to be obeyed and followed…or else they would taste death. From the mental links he had forcibly forged with his followers, he knew that they all felt the same way or, in the case of Tricksy, was forced to feel the same way. He was wishing the Orange Ranger would hurry up and destroy the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger already, for Creeper was reminding him a lot like his deceased brother. Toying with the weapon in his hand, he flexed the 'fingers' on his other hoof-like hand and smiled to himself as he thought of what his newest monster would look like.

Summoning up a Z Centaur from its storage area, Lord Zedd stood up and walked towards it. Coming within striking distance, Zedd placed the weapon in its hands and lifted his staff. Due to the somewhat volatile nature of the weapon, he would not be using the Dark Crystal to create any monsters – lest he wanted the Rangers to know where his lair was. Channelling dark energy into the tip of his staff, he chanted the ages-old words that would allow a seamless merging of magically created flesh and manufactured material. As the ironically white energy engulfed the Z Centaur, his visor allowed him to see the merge in all its beauty.

Metallic screws replaced the nails on its hands and the weapon duplicated itself; attaching to both shoulders in a twisted parody of the Purple Ranger's Magic Launchers. The excess metal fused to various points on the former Z Centaur to form armour and a twisted set of horns that fused to its skull. After a moment's thought, he summoned a growth grenade to him and inserted it in the chest of the transforming monster. He would see how this experiment went and if it was a success then he would place growth bombs into future monster. Judging from the screams that were issued from the grunt, the process was extremely painful and would no doubt leave a lasting impression that he was not one to be crossed. He only wished he could use this magic on the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger and see what made the creature tick.

Releasing the monster from the magical grip, he circled the snarling beast slowly; looking at it from all angles while his minions stared in amazement. There was a unique crazed look in its eyes that none of the previous monsters possessed and its hands opened and closed as if it were imagining it was tearing into the tender young flesh of the Rangers. The Dark Lord was pleased with his handiwork and glanced at Creeper – as if daring the Psycho Ranger to say a word against his power. The Ultra Psycho shrugged once as if saying that he didn't care what Zedd was about to do. Rolling his eyes, Zedd looked at the monster in front of him and spoke in a low growl.

"Mortaro, go to the city of Canterlot. We have attacked their homes recently and they will not be expecting an attack on their base. Take a squad of Z Centaurs with you to keep the Orange and Blue Rangers busy."

The creature bowed and trotted away. Zedd shook his head at the retreating monster and summoned up three other items from his 'storage' – a little statue of the human representation of Cupid, a dead tick and a handful of little blue pills. Chuckling to himself, he set the two items on one of the 'arms' of his throne and his visor flashed with malicious glee. Mortaro would certainly bring the Rangers together as a team but Loveshtick would bring them together in ways they didn't want to imagine…

He just hoped her magic would let the remember their…'fun'

TBC…


	56. War Zone

AN: This chapter deals with stuff that may not be to everypony's taste. It will only get worse from here as it leads up to [Censored]. Well, that and [Censored as well]. Enjoy!

Chapter 56: War Zone

"Why did we come back so soon?"

Fluttershy looked next to her at the transformed Ranger as they hurried through the busy streets of Canterlot. She had taken over the tour of Ponyville after Twilight had started to freeze up at certain points and talking to Applejack hadn't done anything except make the unicorn more and more reluctant to spend time outdoors. Billy had wanted to take Twilight back to her home and all three ponies had left. The thought of the Orange Ranger being in a pony form was slightly alluring to her but she forced herself to keep calm at all times. After all, it wouldn't do to break down in semi-orgasmic ecstasy every time he brushed past; it would get tiring and he would seriously start to question his actions. She would wait until she was at home and…take matters into her own hooves.

"Just…some strange feeling I have. Maybe it'll turn out to be nothing…"

Nodding her head, she fluttered her wings to catch up with him once more. In the middle of scouting some of the back alleys, Weihan had jerked upright and sucked in a sharp breath. He had turned around and had galloped off in the direction of the Pega-coach stand and had somehow managed to cut in front of the extremely long line and get the first coach going to Canterlot. The timid Pegasus had just managed to land on the moving chariot before it had accelerated to breakneck speeds. They had landed in Canterlot no less than five minutes later and Weihan had leapt off to…do something. She wasn't sure; but she had contacted Pinkie just in case things went south. So far, they had drawn nothing except curious glances from the elites in the crowd such as Hoity Toity and even Fancy Pants.

Grinding his teeth together, Weihan scoured the crowd for the source of his unease. He had sensed the use of strong magic from somewhere in Canterlot and had driven himself crazy in an attempt to distinguish it from the magic used by the Princesses. It helped that due to his repeated exposure to evil magic, he had developed a sort of sense for it…and the flags that surge was triggering did not seem that they would be used for anything good. The only problem was that in Equestria – everypony and their dog exuded some form of subtle magic. Earth Ponies had magic in their hooves and that allowed them to grow food relatively quickly as well as communicate wit the land in a way Princess Celestia had explained as a 'Horse-Sense'. Of all the Rangers, Applejack had the most 'Horse-Sense'.

Pegasus ponies controlled weather and some could form bonds with animals as Fluttershy had. Unicorn ponies had a knack for learning everything that was thrown at them…but also had a knack for unconsciously blaming themselves for everything that was going wrong with their work or duties. Trotting down the lane that would lead them to the Palace, he stopped and sniffed the air once. There was a strange smell in the air that reminded him of the Bad Future he had seen a few months ago. It was damp; dust filled and reeked of unimaginable pain. In addition to that, there was a strange whistling noise coming from somewhere above him; almost like birds or something falling. Shaking his head, he waited for Fluttershy to catch up and attempted to slow his breathing. Glancing sidelong at the flustered Pegasus, he let a small smile creep over his muzzle as he looked at her. He was aware that the Yellow Ranger had a bit of a crush on him and he had expressed some small degree of reciprocation…but he had AJ back in his home dimension and he was a human as well. The thought of 'dipping his wick' inside a pony – even one as cute as Fluttershy – kind of gave him a bad feeling; not to mention a serious case of the creeps. He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak to the pony.

"Maybe we should go back. I don't think…"

He snapped his mouth shut as plumes of fire exploded around him. Throwing his body over Fluttershy's, his eyes scanned the crowd to see if anypony was in need of assistance. He could feel the Pegasus below him unconsciously push back but he forced those thoughts from his mind as the strange whistling noise washed over his ears again. His eyes widened as he grabbed Fluttershy and rolled to one side…milliseconds before the ground exploded up in a ball of fire. He felt the heat from the explosion singe his fur and coughed as the smell of burning hair wafted past his nose. Around him, he could hear shouts and screams as more and more explosive projectiles rained from the sky. Shaking his head in frustration, he lifted his body from Fluttershy and directed his gaze up…just in time to see some strange creature leap from a nearby roof. The creature landed in the middle of the panicked crowd and opened fire with the two strange tubes that were sticking out from its shoulders. Explosions of blood blossomed from the falling ponies and Weihan could only watch in horror as the creature cackled insanely at the death and devastation it was wreaking.

He had hardly time to blink before a group of eight Z Centaurs ringed the crowd from all sides; each Centaur holding a weapon that seemed strange to the ponies but filled the human with dread. He didn't know how Zedd had managed it or if Creeper had brought them with him; but if grunts were going around carrying AK-47's…well, there would be a bloodbath on their hooves. Throwing all caution to the wind, he raced down the lane at the first Z Centaur he could see while charging up a fire blast from his horn. Releasing the projectile, he watched as it blew a watermelon sized hole through the grunt – destroying it in a blaze of energy. Rearing up triumphantly, his mind barely noticed a Centaur behind him pulling back one of its fists.

"Watch Out!"

Weihan cursed himself as he flew through the air. He could feel the transformation spell unravelling rapidly…almost as fast as he could see the large bruise on his right flank appear. Crashing hard into a stack of wooden crates, he bit back a scream of pain as his bones forcefully reshaped themselves back into his normal form. Struggling to get to his feet, he summoned his Ultra Crystal to him and morphed in a flare of light. As the rush of power supercharged his healing factor, he pushed himself off the shattered crates and looked around. Fortunately, none of the ponies around him had tracked his flight and transformation back into human form and were standing around as the monstrous centaur/bull creature spoke in a rough, snorting voice.

"My name is Mortaro and you have been given a small taste of what war is like. Now, you will die in a glorious bloodbath!"

The twin tubes on the monster's shoulders rotated upward and fired off a few spherical objects. Feeling the still unmorphed Yellow Ranger come up beside him, he dropped one gloved hand to absently stroke her mane while she leant against him for comfort and safety. His eyes tracked the projectiles as they soared higher into the air and wondered for an exceedingly brief moment what they could possibly be. He zeroed his sight on one in particular and watched as it collided in mid-air with a majestic eagle that was soaring overhead.

In a flash of fire and feathers, it was gone from the world.

"Fluttershy; morph _now._"

As the ponies around his screamed in horror and the rifles opened up; he galloped toward the creature laughing maniacally and drew his blade.

This was going to get messy.

TBC…


	57. Bonds Reforged

AN: Next few chapters will deal with the extreme side of the scale. Nothing that explicit but not for everyone's tastes. Enjoy…while you still can…

Chapter 57: Bonds Reforged

"What's the plan here?"

Billy had to shout over the din to be heard. Explosions boomed out over the normally reserved streets of Canterlot as the creature known as Mortaro continued its destructive rampage. After an attack on the creature had proved to be…less than effective, Weihan had Fluttershy call for backup but help had arrived before the meek Pegasus could lift her front hoof to her mouth. Princess Celestia had been watching over the Rangers as she had been very concerned at Twilight's retreating behaviour. Also, it helped greatly that the main windows of the Command Tower overlooked the bustling streets below; so she was in a prime position to see the destruction. The Rangers had teleported away from Ponyville and onto the streets of Canterlot where they had seen the amount of death and destruction.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity had almost lost it and had moved away to a planter of flowers to throw up as quietly as they could while Applejack and Rainbow Dash struggled to keep from doing the same. Twilight just stared at the destruction open-mouthed as she unconsciously compared the monster to her own morphed form. Bullets sparked the area around them and Weihan snapped off a few returning shots with his Raptor Cannon as one-by-one, the Rangers morphed…all except Twilight.

"Twilight! Get it together!"

The purple unicorn blinked slowly as if in a daze. The creature in front of her looked similar to her when she had her Magic Launchers equipped and it was using the tubes to hurt ponies…just like she had done. She shook her head slowly; not even noticing when Fluttershy grabbed her tail and pulled her to the small bunker-like area that had been hastily built up. The two human Rangers were trading blasts with the rifle-toting Z Centaurs and only three or four out of fifty shots were even hitting the monster proper. Billy's shots were wavering slightly as he was recalling the last time he had been morphed in the streets of Canterlot. His Power Coin had been destroyed after taking a hit that was meant for Fluttershy and, had it not been for the recharging of his powers by the Orange Ultra Ranger, he had thought he would never morph again. He was hoping that his Powers didn't run out while protecting Twilight as it would be a slight bit of cruel irony.

"Plan! Do we have one?"

"Don't look at me! The only plan we have is to destroy the Minotaur that thinks he's a centaur!"

Chuckling under her breath at the exchange, Applejack rounded up the morphed ponies and sketched a crude drawing of the battlefield on a patch of dirt near them. From what she could see, the only options available for an assault were from the side alleys that bypassed the Z Centaurs completely. If they used the same alleys that the Z Centaurs had used during their initial attack then theoretically they could catch the monster by surprise. The only pressing issues were the explosive shells that were still being dropped from the sky. They would need a few minutes of clear skies for her plan to work but the other issue was which ponies would take which routes. Looking at Twilight, she sighed and removed the Element of Magic from her plan. Blowing out through her teeth, she nodded to herself. This was going to be a stretch…

"Fluttershy and Pinkie, y'all take the leftest lane. It'll take you straight up 'n' around the grunts and leave you with a clear shot. Rainbow and Rarity; you two're with me on the right. The lane splits up past the first bend an' Ah want both of you ta keep followin' the road 'till it leads you to the end. Once there, wait fer the signal and blast the monster with everythin' ya got. Twilight…jus' wait here and if ya decide to help then take the path directly down the middle."

All of the Rangers nodded with the exception of Twilight, who just stared straight ahead unblinking. Sighing heavily but reigning in her impatience, the Red Ranger nodded once at the two humans and then scattered to implement their plan. Billy could see there was a gaping hole in the plan and knew the Orange Ranger could see it as well…and if Twilight would focus for just a second or two; she would see it. Ducking down behind the barricade as bullets ricocheted around him, the Blue Ranger charged up his Blade Blaster and aimed at the nearest gun-toting grunt. The energised ball didn't destroy the grunt; but it did cause the live ammunition that was still in the gun to explode. The grunt keeled over with a wail as its hands and face were shredded by the flying shrapnel. Popping up in unison with Weihan, they fired on the next closest Z Centaur and blew it away in a hail of lasers. Now there were only two Z Centaurs left and if Billy remembered the magazine statistics correctly; they should be almost out of bullets.

Looking past them at Mortaro, Billy could see small glints of light that signified the Rangers had ringed the monster as best as they could. He held his breath as he felt a small shudder run through his body – a sign that their weapons were being charged with energy. The hole in their plan was extremely obvious to him and he hoped they could pull it off without Twilight. As his eyes roamed over their spots, he saw the monster shift its body weight subtly and his heart sank. Slumping back behind the barricade, he closed his eyes and sighed softly. The plan had failed before it began. He heard the crackle of energy in the air as the Rangers fired their Flank Cannons and Element Blasters at the monster and heard the soft clopping of Mortaro's hooves against the tiled roads as he avoided the blasts one after another.

"No! Shit!"

He also heard Weihan's anguished cry as he saw the flaw in their plans – with each Ranger surrounding the monster; that meant that Rarity and Rainbow Dash were in the direct line of fire from Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Their screams of surprise and pain ripped through his body and it was all he could do to not jump over their barricade and engage Mortaro directly. Apparently the Orange Ranger couldn't hold himself back as Weihan vaulted over their barricade and engaged the remaining Z Centaurs who were using their useless guns as makeshift clubs. Through the chaos of screams, blasts and grunts; he heard something that let him know he had made the right choice.

"No…"

He opened his eyes slowly as he saw Twilight shake her head once and slowly get up from her seated position. He could see the sadness had temporarily retreated from her eyes and was replaced with grim determination. His hear swelled with pride as he saw small bolts of electricity and energy dance over her neck and coalesce into her Element Morpher with a dazzling flash. She continued to talk to herself; seemingly oblivious to the Blue Ranger lying close to her.

"I won't let it happen a second time. It can't happen a second time!"

Billy's eyes widened behind his helmet as his mind flashed back to the first time he had revealed himself to the ponies. He had said those words to himself while looking down at the heavily injured Sweetie Belle cradled in his arms. At the time, he was sure that nopony else could hear his words but it appeared Twilight had. She looked at him and – for a moment – it seemed she was looking directly into his eyes and nodded once. Nodding back, he stowed his Blade Blaster and pulled out his Power Lance to give her cover 'fire' of sorts.

"Now!"

"It's Morphin Time! Magic!"

Shouting in unison, the two Rangers leapt out of the barricade seconds before it exploded in a fiery ball. Not even sparing a glance back, Billy slashed his Lance at the final Z Centaur and in a mirror move of his last outing in Canterlot, twirled it above his head and slammed it down square on the head of the grunt. The Z Centaur broke apart under the strain and the two human Rangers stood aside to let the Element of Magic rally the Rangers together. As the Purple Ranger charged towards Mortaro, Weihan's eyes widened as he realised the energy aura that accompanied a Ranger's morph had not dissipated and was being channelled into the hooves of the Ranger. He let his Sabre drop to the ground as he saw the other Rangers pick themselves wearily off the ground and share some sort of mental communication link. He wondered if that was what telepathic communication looked like to an outsider but dismissed the thought.

Squinting through the dust cloud, he saw the other five Rangers charge at the monster and charge up energy into their hooves. He had seen the attack before and prayed it would be enough to defeat the monster. He held his breath as – one by one – the ponies called upon their Elements in a crushing attack.

"Magic!"

"Generosity!"

"Laughter!"

"Loyalty!"

"Kindness!"

"Honesty!"

There was a brief pause as everyone around them held their breaths and waited for the attack. To their credit, they didn't have to wait long.

"FRIENDSHIP STAMPEDE!"

Slightly jumping at the volume of the cry, the two bipeds watched as the Rangers charged at the monster with their heads low to the ground and a brilliant aura of energy and magic surrounding their bodies. If he squinted hard enough, Weihan could almost see what looked like flames coming from Twilight's armour but he dismissed it as a trick of the light. The first to charge into the monster was Fluttershy; the usually scared pony ramming into Mortaro's side and toppling him to the ground with a resounding crash. Her hooves trampled over his body, leaving faint energy hoof prints in her wake. Next came Rainbow Dash, then Rarity and Pinkie Pie – the ponies trampling over the monster and overheating the sensitive shells in his body. The second-last pony was Applejack; screaming around the bend like some sort of red banshee and taking care to crush his legs under her hooves. Weihan almost felt a twinge of pity for the monster but this was thankfully squashed down. Mortaro managed to push himself off the ground and aimed both barrels at the biped Rangers. He grinned wickedly as he prepared to fire.

Twilight Sparkle crashed into him; the impact slamming him into the ground once more and even bending the barrel on his left shoulder. He howled in pain as fiery energy washed into his body and his neck snapped under the pressure of the trampling hooves. Twilight skidded to a stop and turned around at the sparking monster. Its stomach bulged out suddenly as the shells that were in its body exploded one after the other. Finally, the monster exploded in a large fireball that destroyed the monster entirely. The Rangers waited for the monster to grow and the inevitable Zord battle to begin…but it appeared that Zedd had given up on the monster. That wasn't the important thing; as all of the ponies who had been injured or hiding were coming out and stomping in appreciation for their efforts – even the bipedal Rangers.

Finally, the Rangers had been accepted as heroes.

TBC…


	58. Backdoor Entry

Content Warning: Rated R18+ for non-graphic descriptions of implied events and stuff that sane people don't think about on a daily basis.

AN: Chapter starts directly after Ch 151 of The Ultra Crystals. Enjoy…if you can.

Chapter 58: Backdoor Entry

The image filled his gut with uncertainty.

Staring at it again, he swallowed hard and tried to commit every detail of it to memory. There was a strange light coming from Nekros' skull upon impact with Paris' giant blade that only lasted for an extremely brief moment. From the looks of it; the direction it was headed into was directly up and slightly to the left. Doing the mental calculations in his head, he shook his head and smiled in forced relief.

"I doubt it's anything to be worried about. The only things in that direction are the ruins of the Moon Fortress and whatever crazy experiments Xonix may have hatched down there. What you saw was probably the crystal they use to morph shattering. Of course I could be wrong and if I am; you can say to me 'I told you so' but I doubt that."

Nodding her head in response, Eliza breathed out a sigh of relief as Applejack butted him away from the screen again. He rolled his eyes in a farewell as he walked off to where the others were gathered. There was no reason to worry about a glint of light coming from a destroyed monster. From what Eliza had told him; the subsequent explosion produced by the 'Fire Smasher' had obliterated the body and remaining plague spores of the Green Ultra Psycho Ranger. The threat of re-infection was still too high to risk him coming back to his own dimension but he paid it no mind as Creeper had still not been defeated. Then again, the only monster that had been defeated recently was Mortaro and that had only been a day or so ago.

"What'cha thinking about? Any other thoughts on what I should do?"

Looking up from his musings, he saw Rainbow Dash hovering n front of him with an expectant look on her face. She had unexpectedly pulled him aside amidst all the celebrations the night before and confessed to him about her love for Applejack. She had agonised over her feelings and had even asked him to do rather explicit things to her to prove that she was straight…but that had ended abruptly after a few awkward moves on her part. He was still trying to get the images out of his mind and was starting to wonder if every sexually confused mare would ask him for advice. It had been worse when the Princess of the Night had come to him with her issues...he forcefully slammed those thoughts from his mind as if he dwelled on them, he wouldn't be able to think straight for the rest of the day.

"Not yet, Dash. Just remember my advice and try not to get caught up in a life-or-death situation. If you _do_, make sure it looks cool but it's better to keep it under wraps until then."

The cyan Pegasus nodded gloomily and turned to leave. He noticed that she was avoiding the use of her legs as much as possible and desperately tried to get the resulting mental images out of his mind. He was starting to wonder if Lustor had a pony equivalent that was spreading around pheromones that made everypony extremely horny but shook his head as he heard Applejack end the communication behind him. The only way that would happen was if Zedd created some sort of monster that made every single pony around him start having sex with the nearest thing they saw; a thought that made him internally cringe at the realisation that not every object around them was designed with…that act in mind.

"Are we all ready?"

He looked up to see Princess Celestia standing at the top of the steps royally and fought the urge to roll his eyes at how pompous she looked. Trotting up to her, he looked out to the open courtyard of the Palace and swallowed hard at the throngs of ponies assembled and awaiting to see their heroes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the muted flashes that signified the Rangers had morphed and brought his mind to the strange light in the image once more. Alex hadn't said he noticed any such light coming from the defeat of the Blue Psycho Ranger but it could've just been obscured by the large rain and ice shower generated. He seriously had a strange feeling his dismissal of the light would come back and haunt him in the future but on the other hand; there were twelve Ultra Rangers with thirty six Zords amongst them – not counting the Zeo Zords, Wild Force Zords and what other surprises would be waiting for the others down the track. Any evil that attacked them at their strongest would certainly be –

"What the hay is goin' on down there?"

He snapped out of his thoughts at Pinkie's shout. Looking down at the courtyard again, his eyes widened as he realised his earlier thought had become a horrifying reality. In the middle of the sea of ponies was a strange monster that could have only been described as a Cupid/Tick mashup. The monster was firing blue lasers indiscriminately into the crowd and whatever ponies it hit…well, he made a mental note to research into memory altering spells when he returned to his own dimension. Ponies were in various states of…extreme public intimacy with each other and whatever objects around them that they could see. It was actually rather disturbing to him and it made him slightly more self-conscious that he was in his pony form. He would have to try his hardest not to be struck with that beam if he wanted to keep good relations with the pony Rangers around him.

"Is that a cactus he's walkin' towards? Oh hay; that is messed up!"

Lowering his head to the ground, he snorted in frustration and pawed the ground in front of him with nervous energy. He was itching to leap into battle against the creature and defeat it so the ponies around them would be free from whatever spell the creature had put them under. He could feel the Rangers lining up next to him and both Princesses flanking him on either side. He charged fire into his hooves and horn and prepared to charge…when the monster turned around and looked at the Rangers. Its voice was high-pitched and childish but had a low, sensuous undertone to it – reminding the Orange Ranger of Lustor.

"Well, hello Rangers and Princesses. My name is Love Tick and as you can see; I make ponies fall in love! Isn't it great?"

They wasted none of their breath on replies; instead opting to charge straight at the creature. Bolts of magic flew from both sides as the battle was joined. Weihan saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash be hit with a beam and tumble off into a heap as they demorphed. Pinkie leapt into the air as she was propelled by Fluttershy but only served to become a target for the monster's beam. Rarity and Twilight were the next to be hit; followed by Celestia and Fluttershy. Eyes searching desperately for a way to end this quickly; Weihan supercharged his horn with magic and raced at the creature as Luna fell behind him. If he could only get one chance at this; he would take it. He felt the transformation spell unravel again as blue bolts slammed into him…but he kept going. Leaping into the air as his horn was replaced by his Raptor Sabre; he struck down only to hit empty air as the monster teleported away.

Landing on the ground, he growled in frustration as he surveyed the crowd that had come to see them. All of them were in the middle of activities that shouldn't have been seen in public…including the Rangers. Breathing out heavily as his mind struggled against the effects of the beams; he walked towards them and attempted to speak.

"We need to get back now."

Grumbling, the Rangers disengaged from each other and the Princesses winked seductively at him. Fluttershy trotted up to him and placed her head very close to his groin and smiled. Smiling down at the pony, he dropped to the ground and ducked his head.

And the last remnants of his sanity slipped into the darkness.

TBC…


	59. Harder and Faster

AN: Was going to be a longer chapter but had to cut all the more explicit material out. Lots of implications here.

Chapter 59: Harder and Faster

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

After locking onto the signatures of the Rangers, Weihan and the Princesses, he had teleported them up to the Command Tower and had felt very glad that he didn't go with them. He also wished he could scrub the images out of his eyes and brain but knew that was an exercise in futility. All of the Rangers and Princesses were involved in a large group orgy of sorts and he didn't know whether to be amused that Rainbow Dash and Applejack were finally together or appalled that Twilight was doing _that_ with the Princesses. Sighing heavily, he tried getting their attention yet again.

"Guys! We need to track down the monster and destroy it to free everyone from its spell!"

He sighed as they finally disengaged from each other and looked at him with glazed eyes. Billy knew that they had been struck with the beams and that they contained a powerful aphrodisiac that negated any other form of higher thought…but to think that the Princesses could be incapacitated by that attack as well was staggering. He rationalised it as being from an unnaturally created monster and not Equestrian magic but that didn't help matters much either.

"We need to see where the monster went and try to find a counter-spell for the – "

"No."

Billy blinked and looked for the source of the voice. He saw the warp tube light up with a low glow and sighed in relief as the form of Dimitria materialised from within. He had no idea where she had been but her guidance and wisdom would be a great help to him – especially if he was forced to fight the monster on his own. Already he could see the Red and Blue Rangers start nuzzling each other again and – more disturbingly – Weihan looked just about ready to jump Fluttershy. His mind reeled at trying to come up with the logistics of their activities and he slammed the door on those thoughts as they wouldn't be productive for him in any way. Dimitria looked at the enspelled Rangers and sighed.

"Let them go and do their own thing. There is a chance that vigorous activity may release them from the grip of the spell. Do you not think it wise that every option may be explored?"

The Blue Ranger groaned to himself but nodded. If anything, it would mean less of a clean up in the main Command area and he didn't have to scrub the disturbing images out of his mind every time he looked behind him. Pressing a button on the console nearest to him, all of the enspelled individuals vanished in a bundle of light. Running a hand through his hair, he looked up at Dimitria and spoke in a tone that was between determined and unsure.

"So what happens now?"

Dimitria smiled down at him and shook her head. He closed his eyes and nodded at the unspoken order. He would have to train hard in order not to become incapacitated in the up and coming fight between himself and Love Tick. Those beams were deadly and he would have to work on his agility to avoid them. He turned to leave for the Training Room when he stopped and flicked on an audio-only channel for the Training Room. Immediately, the Command Area was filled with moaning and wet slaps and the occasional high-pitched squeal. Briefly wondering exactly what was going on in there, he closed the channel and shook his head again. Teleporting to the backup Training Room, he opened the door cautiously. Seeing nothing…abnormal within the walls, he stepped into the room and locked the door behind him. Walking over to the panel on the wall, he keyed in a serried of commands and waited as three weak laser turrets descended from the ceiling.

Closing his eyes, he felt for the spirit of the Wolf that still resided deep within his core and allowed its swift power to wash over him. When he opened his eyes again, he was clad in the soft material of his Ninjetti uniform; the coin of the Wolf glowing slightly with radiant energy. Balling his hands into fists, he grinned as the first turret opened fire and he sprang to the side.

He would return his friends to normal…before they did things they would regret.

TBC…


	60. Chocolate Creampie

Content Warning: R18+ for semi-graphic descriptions of human/pony sex. Then again; there's much worse on the internet.

AN: Don't read this chapter if semi-graphic descriptions squick you out. Then again, you may have read something worse on the internet. And, again, if you need an explanation of the _other_ meaning of chocolate creampie…why are you reading this fic?

Chapter 60: Chocolate Creampie

He slumped down as the energy left his body.

She smiled up at him, licked her lips and brushed her pink mane to one side as he slowly eased out of her rear. He could hear the moans of pleasure around him as the ponies indulged their deepest, darkest desires. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were all over each other and had even come onto him – in both meanings of the phrase. He saw the two Princesses share more than sisterly love with each other as a thoroughly exhausted Twilight watched from the sidelines. Where Pinkie and Rarity were, he didn't know…but he heard giggling and moaning from somewhere above him. He didn't dare look at what they doing but wondered how in the world they had managed to suspend themselves from a flat ceiling. Their bodies shone with sweat and other fluids and he was extremely amazed to find that the fun he was having with Fluttershy was not really that different than with AJ. Slightly furrier maybe but not all that different.

He knew he was under Love Tick's spell and that the spell was a more refined version of the pheromones used by the Silver Ultra Psycho Ranger. If he could get a sample of the energy used in the beams; he could probably come up with a counter-spell but the only sample he had with him right now was in his blood…and that blood was rushing to one place in particular as he looked at the pony below him. If he blocked out the sound of the others in their throes of passion he could just about hear lasers blasting from somewhere below him. He had an inkling that Billy was training himself to take on Love Tick and he inwardly hoped that he would succeed. He wasn't sure what would give out first – his body or the floor of the Training Room. As his body prepared for another 'session', his mind retreated again to the small plan he had formed to destroy Creeper once he showed up again.

So there were no outside distractions, it would be just him and Twilight facing off against the Psycho Ranger. He looked out of the corner of his eye at the Purple Ranger and saw that she was face first in the Princess of the Night. Shuddering in pleasure as he eased into the Yellow Ranger once more, he wondered what he would do after cornering Creeper – if he could even corner the shadowy being in the first place. Using any attack that would cause a shadow was clearly not an option as he didn't want the Ultra Psycho Ranger to slip away again. On the other hand; Creeper probably felt the same way and wanted to draw him out to kill him or something clichéd like that. Finding a steady rhythm, his mind temporarily went blank as he felt her squeezing tightly and he pulled out and adjusted his 'aim' slightly. Sliding into a warm and damp area; his mind blanked again as the Pegasus' cries became louder and he neared release yet again.

Half a minute later, his mind returned to normal and he resumed his train of thought even though his body screamed at him for rest. He wondered if this was a new strategy by Zedd but reasoned that the alien overlord wasn't as much of a tactical genius as the one in his dimension was. The idea behind the monster was probably to catch all of them in Love Tick's beams so they would be incapacitated as Zedd took over the world – but a wrench in the plan had to be the omission of Billy. Actually, contrary to his earlier thought, he knew Billy would succeed against the monster. He would push himself to the limits to make sure the monster was actually dead and that the enspelled ponies came to their senses once more.

Rolling onto his back as the Yellow Ranger nudged him, he wondered if the others were trapped in their minds as well. If they knew what they were doing and could see it but not control their bodies…well, that would make for a rather interesting situation when the spell was lifted. He doubted Princess Luna would ever face her sister again and he knew for a fact that she wouldn't want to stand in front of him anymore. Actually, with the possible exception of Fluttershy, he doubted any of the ponies would want to stand in front of him if they remembered everything. Then again, he wondered what they would think if they _didn't_ remember anything…which probably was what would happen. As he felt a warm tongue on him, he marvelled at the speed he felt himself be ready again. He would probably want to sleep for a week when the spell was lifted to recharge his energy; although he had a strange feeling that whenever the spell was lifted was when Creeper would attack again.

He seriously doubted the Ultra Psycho Ranger would pass up on the chance to attack when their bodies were tired out and hoped he had enough energy in his reserves to put up a decent fight against the evil Ranger. He also made a mental note not to download anything from his mind to the Simul-Deck for at least a month as he didn't really want a simulacrum of a hot and bothered Fluttershy or Applejack in the databanks. As the pink maned Pegasus was replaced by the blonde cowpony, he wondered if she was screaming in her mind just like he was. He closed his eyes as she lowered herself onto him and he felt a rush of warmth envelop him.

His final thought before his mind fully blacked out was of AJ.

TBC…


	61. Gokkun

AN: If you need to know what gokkun is; why did you read the last few chapters? To those readers hiding behind rocks; this chapter marks the (sort of) end of the R18+ material. There's more to come after [Censored] but…less graphic.

Chapter 61: Gokkun

He eyed the creature in front of him warily.

After seven hours, the monster had shown up again in Ponyville. The small town was still recovering from the shock of seeing Nightmare Moon again and everypony had been very slow to react to the sudden appearance of the monster. While the beams of the monster had yet to result in any direct injuries or deaths; there was no doubt in his mind that there would be a truckload of embarrassed ponies if they remembered what they had been doing. Even if they _didn't_ remember what they had been doing, there would be a lot of awkward explanations for strange situations various ponies would find themselves in. He just hoped none of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been hit with the beams as he seriously doubted they wanted to become that close to each other.

Holding his Blade Blaster in front of him, he waited for the barrage of beams to begin. He had slowly increased the lethality of the lasers in the Training Room until they had almost sheared through the walls and he felt ready to dodge anything that was shot his way. Keeping an eye on his Power Meter, he sucked in a long breath as he saw the reading drop slowly. The power that had been infused in his Morpher was running out at an increasingly rapid pace and asking for a refill was impossible as the only Ranger who could do so was…otherwise occupied. By his calculations, he would have to finish the battle within half an hour if he wanted to have any power left for a future battle.

Without warning, blue lasers erupted from the monster's hands. Billy leapt out of the way and swiftly returned fire; the red bolts easily hitting the monster one after the other. Love Tick roared in rage as the emitters on its hands were blasted away and it reached for its backup weapon – a seemingly normal bow and arrow set. Pulling back the drawstring, the monster let loose several arrows that exploded upon hitting whatever target was in their way. Billy scrambled back as he saw multiple ponies become engulfed in fiery blasts and blinked at their apparent lack of response. In one case, he saw that a pony was still on top of the remains of a pony that had been blown in half by the blast and he vowed to scrub that image out of his mind as soon as he could.

Dodging the hail of arrows as best as he could, he raced toward Love Tick while converting his Blade Blaster to its blade mode; reaching striking distance, he lashed out and stabbed the blade deep into the chest of the monster. Yellow ichor leaked out and Billy kept an eye on his weapon to see if the blood would eat through the weapon but to his delight, it didn't appear to be the case. Yanking the blade out of the monster, he began slashing at the chest of the monster in an attempt to destroy whatever held the ponies under their spell of extreme lust. Summoning his Power Lance to his free hand, he twirled the weapon around and repeatedly slashed the arms and shoulders of the monster. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that his attacks were having some effect on the ponies around them. They untangled themselves from each other with extreme speed and started apologising for whatever it was that they had been doing. From what he could overhear; it seemed that they didn't know what had happened to them after they had been blasted with the 'sex beam'.

"You will pay for undoing my hard work!"

With some considerable effort, he managed to block the retort that was waiting at the tip of his tongue from coming out…as it would have destroyed pretty much all credibility he would have had as a Power Ranger. He wondered what it would take for the other Rangers and both Princesses to be free from the spell and hoped that they weren't in too compromising situations. The last thing he would want was for the Rangers to be avoiding each other so soon after coming together as a team once more. On the other hand, he guessed that what they were doing now could technically be counted as coming together as a team…but he forced himself to focus on the battle at hand. He had to destroy the monster and not allow it to grow.

Holstering his Blade Blaster, he broke apart his Power Lance and considered his options. Channelling energy into his Lances was one option but it would eat up a large chunk of his powers. The flipside to that was it was a sure-fire way to destroy the monster without risking collateral damage to the already battered buildings around him. Ducking under a swing from its bow, he retaliated by slashing its kneecaps and rolling away from the frenzied kicks that followed. Leaping over the head of the monster, he stabbed its insectoid head with the blades of his Lances and delivered a crushing kick to the small of its back. As Love Tick dropped its bow, he leapt at it and viciously stabbed down – shattering the flimsy weapon.

It was time to end this.

Keeping his gaze fixed on the monster in front of him, Billy focused his power into the blades of his Power Lance. He didn't know if he could pull off the same move that had literally nuked the monster on Deinos Terra Firma; but even if a mere fraction of energy was expended then it would be more than enough. Watching the meter next to his Power Level rise steadily, he drew back both halves behind his head and prayed the attack would work.

"Blue Slash!"

Slashing down both halves of the Power Lance, he watched as six crescents of energy blasted out and rocketed towards the monster. Love Tick didn't even have time to move out of the way as the energy slammed into it; knocking all the wind out of its shredded chest. Releasing an undulating wail of protest and fear, the monster crumpled to the ground and exploded in a ball of fire, feathers and…nauseatingly enough; a thick blue gel that coated Billy from head to toe. Shaking his head, he wiped his visor so he could see the remains of the monster and smirked.

Zedd had lost for another day.

TBC…


	62. Dead of Night

AN: Slight R18+ material here. Then again, its way less graphic than most of the other clopfics on the internet. I need to go wash my brain of the residual images. Enjoy…

Chapter 62: Dead of Night

He awoke with a start and instantly regretted it.

His body ached in places he didn't know existed and his internal organs felt like they had been mixed into some sort of meaty thickshake. For all Weihan knew, that had happened sometime during the lengthy session of pleasure that had been endured. He had known that the spell had been lifted when he started regaining control of his body in the shower. It was good that whatever force had been controlling him previously had the good sense of mind to drag him to the shower and wash off the various fluids that he had been coated in. Unfortunately, Fluttershy had also tagged along and he had been unable to stop himself from entering her again. On the other hand, they had finished almost seconds before the spell had been lifted which saved awkward explanations from taking place.

Then again, Fluttershy had fainted to the ground and he had spent a good few minutes ensuring that she didn't drown in the thin layer of water and other fluids at the bottom of the shower tray. He had also spent that time trying to get his semen out of her and concealing all evidence that revealed what had happened. He had literally also forgotten he was naked until Fluttershy had woken up groggily, seen him and turned as pink as Pinkie Pie. He had switched off the shower and hastily covered himself up but she had asked one question that made him inwardly sigh in relief.

"What happened to us?"

He had opened his mouth the reply but the door to the shower had opened and a slightly confused and bewildered Applejack and Rainbow Dash had trotted in asking each other if they remembered anything. Both new arrivals had turned bright red at seeing his state of undress and Dash had shifted her back legs extremely subtly as if recalling something that had happened during the 'blackout time'. He had admitted to knowing nothing about what had happened during the blackout time and had hastily made his retreat. He had bumped into a returning Billy and, after congratulating him on destroying the monster, had asked him not to divulge any information about what had occurred to the ponies that had been under the spell. Of course, that had led to a brief discussion about his own memories of the…session and why it was that he managed to regain control of his mind during the spell – if not his body.

He had no answer for the Blue Ranger except the possibility that it had something to do with the Ultra Crystal that was inside his body and that its protective magic had stopped the spell from digging its claws into him fully or something. Whatever it was, he knew that it would seriously be some time before he could look at an Equestrian pony without becoming aroused and he was seriously itching to start looking for memory altering or blocking spells right then and there. And then his body had all but shut down on him and he had fallen down in a boneless heap. He vaguely remembered Billy catching him before he could hit the ground while shaking his head and muttering something. Blinking up at the ceiling, he smiled wryly as he picked out the ornate decorations in the dim lighting of the Command Tower.

"This is starting to become a habit for you."

Lacking the strength to lift himself up, he turned his head to see Billy sitting at one of the control consoles. The Blue Ranger seemed more tired than before and was absently turning his Power Coin over in his hands. The Orange Ranger signed and looked down at his body – unsurprised that he was still in the same state of undress as he had been earlier. He could see that the other Med Beds were unoccupied and wondered where the others were.

"They're in their own private quarters resting. What can you tell me about your…activities during the 'blackout' period?"

Weihan closed his eyes and let the memories wash over him once more in rapid succession. There were things he knew now that he never ever wanted to know about the ponies such as what they liked, what they loved and what made them literally gush like waterfalls. He knew where to put his hand on Princess Celestia if he wanted her to instantly go weak and he knew how much pressure to apply to a certain area of Rarity that made her scream her lungs out. He opened his mouth to try and articulate his thoughts.

"I…I know things I shouldn't. Give me a piece of paper and I can tally up exactly how many times and where I was in each Ranger and I can even tell you what they taste like. Everything is pretty much recorded in my brain in extreme detail and off the top of my head, I can think of several porn studios that would pay a ton for these images and a few animal welfare agencies that would probably want to skin me alive. You have no idea how it was like for me to know exactly what was going on around me but not be able to stop it. To be trapped in your own body like that…is something I wouldn't ever wish on Xonix."

Billy nodded once at the raw emotion in the young man's voice. He had guessed that it would be a pretty scary experience to be aware of everything going on around you and be unable to stop it. On one hand; the Orange Ranger had spent the blackout period enjoying himself with the Rangers and the Princesses while he had been slogging it out in training and with the monster. On the other hand; the Rangers had all been female ponies and not humanoid in any way so that was bound to scrub away some – if not all – of the pleasure to be derived from such an event.

"So, what did you tell them happened during the blackout?"

Billy jerked his head up at Weihan's sudden question. He knew why it had been asked – so that the Orange Ranger's story could gel with what the others had been told and so he wouldn't slip up and divulge the truth. On the other hand, Fluttershy had 'woken up' with him in the shower so he was sure the Yellow Ranger would sense something off with any other story.

"Nothing much. Just that they were walking around in a daze and that whatever spell was in the beams apparently didn't take effect. I even altered the footage in the system to reflect this."

Weihan nodded once and then closed his eyes in an attempt to soothe his aching body. However, this was not to be as the alarms started wailing as soon as he was comfortable. Shaking the sleep from his head, he forced himself to sit upright as Billy silenced the alarms and brought up an image of the disturbance on one of the screens. Standing up on legs that felt like limp noodles, his eyes widened at the figures on the screen as the other Rangers galloped into the Command Tower. Weihan averted his eyes at the slightly awkward way they ran…almost as if they didn't want to place too much pressure on their rear legs but pushed the images out of his mind. He looked at Twilight and saw the purple unicorn look back with equal amounts of determination in her eyes.

"Tonight, we end this."

TBC…


	63. Bringer of Light

Chapter 63: Bringer of Light

"So, you managed to survive the last attack."

He stared at the shadowy being – barely making him out in the darkened environment. Morphing had recharged his links to his Ultra Crystal and his healing was speeding up but one look at Twilight made him see that, while the Element Crystals provided some accelerated healing, her recovery wouldn't be as fast as his. She had almost ordered him to sit out the battle but had relented when he pointed out that she was still recovering from the effects of the 'failed' spell and she wouldn't just be facing the copy of Nightmare Moon. Peering out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Purple Ranger facing off against the copy…but he could see she was badly shaken. Summoning his Raptor Sabre; he prepared himself for anything.

"The last attack was wholly ineffective against us. Zedd is deluded if he thinks that will crush these Rangers!"

As he spoke, he subtly charged his blade with fire and concentrated hard to ensure no obvious flames were seen. When the last word fell from his lips, he rushed forward and slashed the midsection of the surprised Ultra Psycho Ranger. He was slightly stunned to feel little to no resistance but mentally kicked himself as he realised a shadowy being probably possessed the ability to make itself intangible on a whim. Bringing down his charged Sabre on Creeper's back, he switched on his internal chronometer to see how long it would be until Princess Celestia would raise the sun. Even though the Monarch of Equestria had spent the past few hours…teaching her best student; he doubted her lethargy would get in the way of the dawn. By his calculations, the sun was due to rise in around half an hour or so and he knew the light would strip away some of Creeper's power. He wasn't aware how much it would strip away as the first fight with the Ultra Black Psycho Ranger had been on a sunny day; but he was willing to bet it would be enough.

"Keep your eyes on me, Ranger!"

Ducking on a whim, he felt the air above his head move violently away and he lashed out with his left leg. Connecting with the solid breastplate of the Psycho Ranger, he popped off the ground and punched the Ranger in the face; the blow bouncing off the half helmet but leaving a visible dent in the armour. Not bothering to suppress the flames on his Sabre any more, he allowed the light to bathe over Creeper and illuminate the surrounds as best as he could. Twirling the flaming weapon, he slashed it at Creeper twice before backing off and pressing a button on the hilt. Within seconds, the metal of the blade had retracted to allow the seemingly random bursts of fire to form an impossible blade created from each individual flame. The shadowy Ranger backed away from the blazing light and projected the images it had recorded when the Orange Ranger had been under the spell of lust.

Batting away the images of him and the ponies, he swung down his Fire Blade onto the outstretched arm of Creeper, severing it from the main body. Before the evil Ranger could even think about reattaching it; it was instantly incinerated by a charged fireball. Reeling in horror at the sight of his arm gone forever, Creeper rushed at the Orange Ranger whilst projecting more and more images of the debauchery that had been undertaken. The Black Ultra Psycho Ranger didn't know why the Orange Ranger didn't seem to be affected as there was no way that the Ranger should have remembered what had happened under the spell. A quick glance to his left allowed him to see the Purple Ranger faltering as she was attacked by the same images and her screams of denial and horror filled him with renewed energy.

"Hey! Remember me?"

The evil Ranger looked up and twirled away as the Fire Blade came dangerously close to slicing off his face. He ducked and weaved in an attempt to avoid the frenzied slashed of the Orange Ranger and tried to hold onto his power as the light ate away at it. Leaping away from the reach of the terrible light, he sighed as he felt some of his power come back to him…but he was now further away from the shadow Nightmare Moon he had created. If he didn't infuse it with energy soon; she would be destroyed permanently upon the next fully powered attack by the slowly recovering Purple Ranger. Tapping into the communication channels of the Rangers, he chuckled as he heard the confused shouts and dry heaves of the remaining Rangers as they saw the sexual images attacking the Purple one. He even heard the strangely soothing voice of one of their mentors trying to talk some sense into her. it all wouldn't matter that much in the next few minutes anyway. Grinning to himself, he reached into himself with his remaining hand to pull out a small blaster that he swiftly converted to a razor-sharp short sword. He would slink behind the Purple Ranger and slit her throat in full view of her friends and drink in the blood that flowed from her body. It would be almost –

"DIE!"

Creeper's head jerked up as he realised with a start that he had forgotten about the Orange Ranger. Spinning around in shock, he felt a searing pain rip through his remaining arm as the Fire blade almost severed it from his body. Indeed, it was only hanging on by the barest of threads. Dropping his weapon with a clatter, he shaped the remains of his power into a pseudo-arm that held the nearly-severed limb close to his body. He was dimly aware of the Purple Ranger yelling something out but paid it no mind. He didn't know if he would survive after his Ranger form but he needed to know how he had been unaffected. Croaking out the question, the reply he received made him realise that there was very little that Xonix knew about the power of the Ultra Crystals.

"My mind was unaffected so I could see everything that happened. Your false images don't frighten me in the least!"

As he finished speaking, Weihan hoped that his declaration had been picked up by the other Rangers. They had to be convinced that the images that had been shown to Twilight were falsehoods if they were ever going to fight as a cohesive unit again. Flipping away from the crippled Creeper, he turned his head to see a strangely glowing Twilight charge through the shadowy Nightmare Moon, engulfing the construct in a ball of fire and lightning. His eyes widened as he realised she had possibly tried to copy him in wreathing her body in flames…or her innate Magic power. As the unicorn finished her attack, she summoned her Magic Launchers at the greatly weakened but still moving clone as the fake alicorn stumbled to where her creator was standing.

Weihan grinned as he realised they were in the perfect spot…

TBC…


	64. Shining Twilight

Chapter 64: Shining Twilight

She was frozen to the ground as the alicorn approached.

She knew that her friends were safely in the Command Tower and the only Ranger with her was the Orange Ranger. She would be able to easily react if a bipedal alicorn attacked her but she surely doubted it would come to that. Trying to force her limbs to move, she shuddered lightly as the low and almost seductive voice washed over her; bringing strange images to the forefront of her mind like some half-remembered dream.

"Why, little Ranger, you're in one place and ripe for the picking. Oh, the things my Master has allowed me to do to that body of yours. Why, you will be begging for sweet release!"

Twilight swallowed hard as sweat dripped off her face. Licking her lips, she forced herself to remain calm and not think of the rather disturbing imagery being conjured up by the voice. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she could see Weihan viciously attack his opponent and wished she was able to do the same. By all rights; she was free to attack the spectre in front of her as her friends were nowhere near the battlefield but she couldn't take the chance. She saw images of Fluttershy badly burnt and bleeding heavily mixed with the semi-disapproving stares of the Princesses…as well as a strange sensation of something thick being pushed into her rear. She had no idea where the sensation came from but it felt strangely familiar.

"Little Pony, you have no idea what you have gone through under Love Tick's spell. Here…let me show you a few choice images."

Her eyes opened impossibly wide as the fake Nightmare Moon projected four or five screens in front of her. The images were static and blurry at first but they slowly came into focus as they moved…and produced sound. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was aware of Billy opening up a communications channel to her and saying something and she could even hear the expressions of disgust intermingled with mild curiosity by her friends; but all of her attention was on the pictures in front of her. They showed her in various strange positions with her friends and Weihan around her…and inside her.

She wanted to shake her head in disbelief that the images in front of her were fake…but unless she heard otherwise; she would believe otherwise. She recoiled in horror as she saw herself be double-penetrated by tongues, blunted horns and the strange short horn Fluttershy had said jutted out from Weihan's body. She closed her eyes but the sounds still filtered through her ears; low and guttural groans mixed with wet slapping of flesh on flesh. She clenched her teeth at her own cry of pleasure-filled pain as something warm was inserted into her rear end. She cried out in fear and horror as her eyes involuntarily opened to see an extremely close-up shot of something white and viscous drip out of her; only to be licked up by Applejack.

"Twilight, listen to my voice. Those images cannot be real. Billy told you that the spell did not take hold and he had to rescue you from falling down a flight of stairs."

The soothing voice sliced through the doubt and horror in her mind. Dimitria knew what had happened as she had witnessed the spell not taking hold. It was true that Billy had told her that he had risked public exposure by venturing out of the Command Tower to divert her path from falling down the spiral staircase…but what if that was a lie as well? Squeezing her eyes shut and flattening her ears against her head, she forced all doubt and mistrust out of her brain. She knew this was what Creeper and the fake Nightmare Moon were aiming for – to splinter them by seeding false images and feelings into her mind. At that realisation, she allowed the images and sounds to flow over her like water off a duck's back and she opened her eyes.

The images in front of her were becoming more explicit by the second but now Twilight knew they were fakes. It was true that the six of them had become closer as friends after becoming Power Rangers but she didn't think that they would every get close enough to start invading their bodies with their tongues. Even Weihan had said that the only reason he would ever want to become physical with any of them was if he was either under a spell or extremely drunk…and as he wasn't likely to be affected by spells or drink, the chances of him becoming physical with them was less than zero. On the other hoof, it was extremely possible that Fluttershy would be the one to make the first move…but she doubted that her timid friend would ever act like the images were depicting her as.

"Hey! Remember me?"

Her head jerked up as she saw Weihan viciously attack the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger with his flaming blade and she remembered about the fake in front of her. Forcing herself to move, she dropped her head low and snorted once. Feeling a burning desire to destroy the monster that had produced the images of trickery, she decided to try something that she had seen the Orange Ranger do and closed her eyes. As she channelled both her Magic Element and her Elemental Powers to her armour; she was unaware of panels on her armour opening up and emitting tongues of purple flame. Power raced over her armour and, for a split second, seemed to collect near her hooves – as if preparing for a one pony Friendship Stampede. The false Nightmare Moon backed away from the crazily glowing pony in an attempt to get closer to her creator. If she didn't receive a magic boost soon…well, she didn't think she would survive the next attack. In the corner of her eye, the fake could see her Master pull out a blaster and convert it into a short sword. Strangely, Creeper only had one arm and, uncharacteristically for him, was leaving himself wide open for an attack.

"DIE!"

The copy jumped in the air as the Orange Ranger maniacally attacked her Master with his flame blade and almost sliced off his other arm. She was about to run towards him to defend him against the attack but paused as she felt the air crackle with static electricity. Turning around slowly, her eyes widened as she saw the Purple Ranger practically shining like a small sun. Raising a hoof to shield her eyes, she heard the words that sounded her death knell.

"Blazing Rush!"

Twilight charged at the monstrosity in front of her; excess magic and flames trailing behind her as a series of afterimages. Her horn pulsed with power and glowed a brilliant white as it fought to control the arcane energies her body was wreathed in. She could hear Weihan muttering something through the communications link but didn't know what it was. She only cared about ending the existence of the being in front of her. Ramming into the fake Nightmare Moon, she toppled the beast and infused the majority of her energy into it. She slowed down as she heard an explosion ring out behind her and she turned around slowly. She summoned her Magic Launchers and pointed them at the severely weakened Nightmare Moon clone as it staggered towards the equally battered form of the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger; although she knew her body was tiring out quicker than she had anticipated. Through her blurring vision, she tried to get a bead on the two monsters but was stopped by a hand on her helmet.

"Mind if I try something?"

Shaking her head in relief, she allowed the experienced Ranger to take control as he gently guided her in front of him. There was something maddeningly familiar about the way he did it; but she pushed the thought down in mild annoyance. She knew with every fibre in her body that the images she had seen were nothing more than fabrications. Suddenly, she felt her Magic Launchers gently lift off her shoulders and float over to the Orange Ranger, who was holding his Raptor Launcher on one hand. The Launchers snapped onto place on the barrel of the combination weapon and Weihan held the combined weapon in a strange kneeling position – as if the weight of the weapon was too great for him in his upright stance. Quickly, she placed her front hooves on his shoulders to steady him against theweight. Two names floated through her incredibly strained mind and she looked questioningly up at the Orange Ranger; asking him if he had the same names running through his mind. His next words all but confirmed her theory.

"Harmony Striker! Elemental Fire!"

As the last sound left his lips, the mighty weapon fired off a large sphere of energy that was tinged with orange, purple and red energy. If she squinted hard enough, she could make out extremely vague images of a purple pony, an orange lizard of sorts and a red phoenix in the energy ball and she wondered what they represented. Fighting to keep awake, she saw the energy discharge slam into the two creatures and engulf them in a brilliant explosion that almost eclipsed the now rising sun. She felt her body relax as she realised the nightmare was over.

"Holy shit!"

Eyes that were tiredly closing snapped open as she heard a guttural chuckling come from the direction of the smouldering remains. She swallowed hard as a giant black shadow grew up from the smoke and coalesced into a skeletal creature that bore a great resemblance to the thing that Billy had shown them. Its hands opened and closed and its eyes sparkled with savage intelligence. As her body began to give out; one thought ran through her mind.

It was all up to him now.

TBC…


	65. Quaking Thunder

AN: A new Zord debuts. What it looks like is on my deviantart profile...once I get around to uploading the image. Enjoy!

Chapter 65: Quaking Thunder

"Well, this kinda sucks."

Weihan gently laid the unconscious form of Twilight Sparkle to one side and stared up at the…_thing_ that Creeper had become. It was clear that no sane mind could have thought up a creature that ugly but no one was saying that Creeper was sane to begin with. His mind raced as he scrolled through all the options available to him. His Dinozord had already been used in Equestria but, although it may be familiar to him and to the citizens, he wanted to use something different against the creature Creeper had become. An entirely different reason was that, with the rising sun in the background, the colour scheme on the Dinozord would be thrown completely out of whack…but that was a moot point.

There was an off chance that the creature that Creeper had now become was a golem of sorts. If that was the case; then the most obvious choice for him would be to use his Hydra Thunderzord as it would fit the pseudo-theme that was going. Plus, it would redeem the power of the Thunderzords in his eyes as he still couldn't really get the images of the defeated Thunderzords out of his mind. Another reason would be to show Billy that – in his dimension at least – the Thunderzords were still Zords to be reckoned with. Feeling the power crackle in the air, he lifted up his Raptor Sabre and called upon his Zord.

"I need Hydra Thunderzord Power, Now!"

For a moment; nothing happened and Weihan hoped he didn't have to do the extremely long song-and-dance summoning sequence. Then a strange high-pitched cry split the air and he smiled under his helmet as the ground began to tremble. He had seen the Hydra once before in the Ultra Cavern, but seeing it in the light of the rising sun made the mechanical mythical beast seem…more alive. Spikes flared behind skeletal heads that moved hypnotically on the same metallic serpentine necks and now that it wasn't in the dim lighting of the Ultra Cavern, he could see more details. Two short arms reached for the sky in front of an ornately decorated chestplate and twin tails whipped through the air. Creeper bellowed a challenge in response and Weihan looked at the unconscious form of Twilight…who still hadn't been teleported to the Command Tower.

"Billy, can you teleport Twilight to the Command Tower? I don't want to leave her in the open where her identity may be compromised."

"No can do. There's a temporary outage in one of the power converters and that's thrown the whole system out of tune. You'll have to keep her safe in your own way."

He sighed frustratedly, but nodded. Looking up at the Hydra, he decided that there was only one safe place for the Purple Ranger to be…although it would be a slightly bumpy ride. Scooping up the Purple Ranger, he leapt on board his Thunderzord's cockpit and set the unicorn down where she wouldn't get too jostled around. Securing her with the emergency shoulder harnesses as best as he could; he slid his Sabre into the slot in front of him and felt the restraints lock into place on his feet. Unlike the cockpit of his Dinozord or even the Chronos Zord, there was no seat – meaning he would have to stand throughout the duration of the battle. He wondered if he could somehow install a bicycle seat of sorts so he would have a place to rest for a bit but pushed it to the back of his mind as something to think about later. A keypad slid out of the left side and he gripped the control lever with his right hand as the viewscreen in front of him flickered to life.

The shape of the viewscreen intrigued him slightly and he took a few moments to look at it…as the thing that had been Creeper was staring at the new menace and growling softly. It was shaped in a T with three individual sections on the top that showed what the individual heads were seeing. He had a strange feeling it would take a damn lot of hand-eye co-ordination to successfully pull off an attack…then again, he had been training in the Simul-Deck with Tommy, Jason and Adam on occasion. The main section of the viewscreen was what could be seen directly in front of the cockpit that was located directly below the centre neck. Pressing one of the buttons on the Control Stick experimentally, the massive machine shook slightly as three orange-yellow bolts spewed from the open mouths of the skeletal dragon heads. As the bolts struck Creeper, they seemed to increase the air pressure on the areas struck as Creeper seemed to have increased difficulty in lifting his arms.

"What…what did you do to me?"

He blinked as he heard the voice coming from Creeper. He had made the automatic assumption that the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger would be incapable of coherent speech…but it seemed that it wasn't the case. Allowing the Power to flow through him, he squared his shoulders and pushed the Control Lever forward. He could feel the heavy footsteps of the Hydra Thunderzord as it made its way toward the monster and fired off a few more blasts of what he was starting to call the 'gravity beams' and watched the Creeper stagger back. Flicking another button on the Control Lever, a small charge meter appeared on the HUD as his finisher began to charge.

_The downside is that you will not be able to use the Gravity Beams until it finishes charging. I recommend you try out the Tail Blades and infuse them with Thunder Energy._

Weihan blinked at the voice in his head. It seemed that his internal guide was actually starting to help him during the battles and not always be in the background. Cutting off the response he could feel start to form; he tapped the keys until the twin tails were selected. Temporarily closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply and channelled his Hydra Thunder Energy into the metallic ends of the tails and chuckled to himself as he 'saw' them transform into wickedly sharp blades. Amidst the infodump in his mind, he knew that – as with the majority of his animal zords – the Hydra could transform into a humanoid mode but he held off on showing that to the monster just yet. The creature wouldn't last long anyway.

Moving the tails through the air, he jabbed them at Creeper with the intention of making the creature step back. Instead, the blades stabbed the shadowy being's chest and lodged deep within the thick muscle. Attempting to wrench them out provoked horrific screams from the monster and he nervously looked at where Twilight was lying to see if the ruckus had woken her up. Seeing that it hadn't; he growled in his throat and prepared to fire the Gravity Beams…even though they were only around sixty percent charged. All three heads reared up and zoomed forwards to strike the body of the monster with their jaws opened wide.

"Stop the attack and I will grant you a painless death!"

Shaking his head once, Weihan's left hand moved away from the keypad and gripped the Control Lever in front of him. His eyes danced over the three screens at the top until the flashing crosshairs lined up perfectly. He inhaled slowly and yelled out the attack name – just as Twilight began to stir.

"Gravity Crush!"

The effect was devastatingly powerful. Three thick beams of energy blasted from the open mouths of the Thunderzord and impacted against Creeper. The pressure on the areas affected grew and grew as the evil Ranger desperately tried to free itself from the coming implosion. After a few more seconds of pitiful struggling, Creeper exploded in a smoky fireball – the small Black Psycho Gem shooting up above the explosion and shattering in plain view of the Ultra Ranger. Weihan breathed a sigh of relief as he slumped down in the cockpit.

At last, it was all over.

TBC…


	66. Awakening Dragon

AN: A taste of things to come: Acceptance, a confession and a revelation that will shock every Ranger to the core. Enjoy!

Chapter 66: Awakening Dragon

Billy frowned as he looked over his patient.

While Spike looked the same as he had always looked, the baby dragon had come to him complaining of a bad headache…that for once didn't come from an overabundance of sugar. The Blue Ranger had run the dragon through the full gauntlet of tests but had come up empty handed…except for a strange spike on the heightened mental activity test; no pun intended. As far as he knew, Spike hadn't shown any signs of psychic abilities in the past but his headache was consistent with something that he had heard about once; the link between siblings. Questioning Spike on whether he had any siblings produced a half-hearted shrug from the dragon and Billy had given up that lead for the time being.

"I doubt it's anything serious. Keep an eye on your communicator and keep it with you at all times…just in case something dire happens."

With a nod and a wave, the baby dragon hopped off the Med Bed and teleported out in a purple and green tinged streak. As Billy began to pack up the test equipment, his mind raced back three weeks to the after-effects of the battle with the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger. Princess Celestia had decreed that buildings would be reinforced with metal supports and the monster shelters would be built underground with magically infused armour plating. Everypony had lent a hoof or two in the building effort and the monster shelters were ready by the start of autumn. The Orange Ranger had rested for another day or two before leaving for his own dimension to help with a crisis that had erupted minutes before his departure. Worryingly, the cause of the crisis would be what would happen if the Ranger and Princesses ever found out what they had really been doing when they were under Love Tick's spell. Updates from them had come sporadically after that.

Zedd and Discord had also been rather quiet…which had put all the Rangers on edge. Whatever scheme the dark Lord had up his sleeves; it would hit them hard and fast. The scanners had picked up a large amount of magic coming from a secluded area of the Everfree Forest which had pretty much broadcasted Zedd's location to them. Billy had warned against attacking Zedd directly as his power would be unmatched in a long-range battle. Strangely, the scanners had also picked up on faint traces of temporal magic as well; specifically the type used to pull objects or beings from another dimension. There were no co-ordinates in the magic traces but Billy didn't know if that was due to the distance of the recording or the scantness of the signature. It could also mean that Zedd had a dimensional anchor point set up but the odds of that happening – let alone on a living being – were infinitesimally small.

Pushing that minor concern away from his mind, he recalled his amazement and shock at seeing an actual Thunderzord up close for the first time in a decade or so. The Hydra Thunderzord had ripped through the shadow Ranger like nothing he had ever seen before…well, barring the savage attacks of the earlier Dinozords. Disturbingly, the supposed 'final form' of the monster had greatly resembled the strange guard he had battled outside the Tomb of Discord; so much so that he had actually prepared to morph when he had first seen it. He had actually been monitoring Deinos Terra Firma for such an energy signature and, as it happened, an alert had popped up around the tail end of Love Tick's spell. Then again, he had been in the middle of fighting the monster and couldn't really step away to look at the readings and after that he had been doctoring the surveillance footage tapes and then…well, the point was that a creature with the same energy signature had been spotted leaving the Tomb of Discord but that had blinked off the radar less than a second after it was detected. He had yet to speak to the Princesses about it but he was keeping his Morpher with him at all times in case he was needed.

Walking out of the Command Tower Hall, he stepped into the concealed elevator that would take him to the Zord Bays. He had a nagging feeling that the unused Dragon Jet would be needed and he wanted to do a last-minute tuning of the systems. Spike had spent a good few hours in the Training Rooms and was very familiar with the controls as well as what buttons did what and in what combination. It also allowed the baby dragon to become used to his flight suit which looked very much like the Zeo Green uniform – although there was no connection with the Morphin Grid. Stepping out into the Zord Bay, he sighed as he realised he had yet to tell the Rangers of the other configurations that the Megazord had. On one hand, they would need to know the information if something happened to him in the future. Such a scenario wasn't likely to occur, seeing as he never stepped foot outside the Command Tower, but he had to be prepared for anything. On the other hoof, the Rangers hadn't been in the Megazord since the battle with the mechanical monster that had killed the civilians in front of them.

He shook his head and suppressed a wistful sigh as he looked over to the large object underneath the tarp. He had taken to tinkering with it whenever he had free time…even though it was probably never going to see the light of day. It was almost complete and just needed the final finishing touches applied to it such as the paintjob, decorations and a pilot. Seeing as how he probably couldn't pilot it in the future, he had settled on either Twilight or Rainbow Dash as the best for the job. Twilight was the leader but Rainbow Dash was the Blue Ranger and the object had been coated in a preliminary coat of midnight blue paint. Maybe if he used the other half of the Green Zeo subcrystal to give Princess Luna a temporary morpher…

His thoughts were cut off as a bellowing roar echoed from outside. Swallowing hard, he raced to a nearby console and punched the buttons for the external viewscreen. The image he saw on screen made him do a double take as the shape was extremely familiar…but yet wasn't. The long, thin body with red, black and yellow markings was eerily familiar; as was the twin horns that protruded from the back of its head…and for a split second; he thought that Zedd had somehow recreated it for his own personal usage as a Serpenterra of sorts. But unlike the Red Dragon Thunderzord, there were no metallic overlays or visible joints and the way that tongues of flame leapt from its open mouth seemed to be second nature. He jabbed the button next to him to open a communication channel with the Rangers…and landed in the middle of an ongoing argument.

"No Spike, you can't go! It's too dangerous!"

"Twi, the headaches were all leading up to this moment! I have to face that dragon! He's calling to me…I know it!"

"Sugarcube, the only thing that critter is callin' for is his lunch!"

Shaking his head, Billy looked at the shadowed Dragon Jet. Theoretically, Spike would be safe inside the Jet and – if needed – could even subdue and capture the beast…but that was all in theory and Spike hadn't really tested his limits in a real combat situation before. One false move on his part and…he didn't want to think about it. Clearing his throat, he made up his mind and spoke.

"Spike, you should do what you feel is best. The Dragon Jet is ready for you whenever you need it. Just promise me one thing."

Over the shouts of the other Rangers, Billy could hear the relief and questioning tone in the dragon's voice.

"Thanks Billy. What's the one thing?"

"That you'll come back in one piece."

Although he couldn't see the young Dragon, he could imagine the little one nodding vigorously. Glancing at the Dragon Jet one more time, Billy could see tiny green sparks running across its surface as it prepared to teleport to its pilot. Over the communication channel, he heard Spike triumphantly call upon his vehicle for the first time and knew that his creation was in good hands.

"Dragon Jet; Arise!"

TBC…


	67. Dragon Wars

Chapter 67: Dragon Wars

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Spike dodged another blast of fire before retaliating with the sonic emitters at the front of the Dragon Jet. Although he recalled Billy saying that the Dragon Mode would offer more agility; it would also provide a slightly larger target and he wanted to avoid destroying his personal vehicle. On one hand, the dragon in front of him was vastly different to the one he had seen up close a few months ago when he had run away from home. There were no wings that allowed flight; yet the dragon was clearly snaking through the air without any means of propulsion or lift. His eyes widened a split second before rapidly dropping to avoid a tail swipe that would have knocked him out of the sky for sure. Even though he was only a baby dragon without any fancy powers; he still wanted desperately to prove himself to the others that he was still useful. Then again, the Treebrary had been rebuilt into a stronger tree that easily doubled as an above-ground monster shelter…but it was still wood.

Despite all the aggression the dragon in front of him was showing, Spike had a strange feeling it was calling to him. Strange images were flashing through his mind of a place filled with clashing dragons and rushing lava flows; sights that both confused and comforted him at the same time. Blasting the dragon with his Gatling guns, he swallowed nervously as most of the bullets bounced off the armoured scales. The ones that pierced the scales drew tiny specks of green blood and he hoped he wouldn't have to blast the flamethrowers at it. Blasting into the sky, he dodged a gout of fire and retaliated with his Sonic Emitters; rolling his eyes as the sonic blasts bounced off its head armour. The buzzing in his head was increasing and it seemed like a voice was speaking to him. He didn't know what it was as Billy had all but told him that he had the psychic ability of a walnut.

Putting the Dragon Jet into a tight barrel roll, he scanned his weapons for some non-lethal options…if there were any. Eyes roving through the options, he smiled to himself as he noticed the Capture Sphere option. The only drawback was that it had to be deployed in conjunction with the Dragon Mode and the target had to be subdued beforehand. Shaking his head in exasperation, Spike looped around above the dragon and blasted its back with his Gatling guns. Eyes crossing at the air-shaking screech of pain issued, he guessed that its back was more vulnerable to an attack than the sides…which made sense the more he thought about it. Nopony would ever thing to attack a dragon from above as fire made a very good deterrent against such a strategy. Shaking his head to get that thought out of his mind, he decided that it was time to see what the Dragon Mode looked like. Ascending higher into the air in preparation, he flicked a few switches and pressed the activation button.

"Dragon Mode!"

A shudder ran through the machine and for the barest of moments, Spike thought he had accidentally activated the self-destruct mechanism. The thought passed as there was no self-destruct mechanism that could be activated in the Jet Mode. Although the cockpit stayed in the same place, he could see the changes that were taking place outside via the external imaging system Billy had set up. The strange 'ribbed' body was extending into a snakelike body and the wings were starting to become more and more draconic…if such a thing were even possible on a robot. As the last segment of body fully extended itself, Spike felt a sudden weight below the transforming Jet as the tail unfurled from somewhere inside the body – including the blade-like pincers that would form the firing mechanism for the Capture Sphere. For a brief moment, the baby Dragon marvelled at the wyvern that his Jet had become and silently thanked Billy for his work.

**Brother. Help me.**

He blinked at the voice. Checking the communication channels, he deduced it hadn't come from any outside source. He was too high up in the air for any sort of communication to occur without static. Dismissing it as a figment of his imagination; he dipped the 'head' of the Dragon Mode down to lock onto the rampaging dragon. Much to his dismay, it seemed to be making a beeline for Ponyville…or the Everfree Forest. Blindly selecting an option on the HUD in front of him, the Dragon Jet trembled as a salvo of scale-shaped rockets powered through the air to explode against the scaled of his opponent. Activating the flamethrowers, he blasted a stream of searing flame at the creature in front of him; slightly disturbed at how easily he was forgetting that the being in front of him wasn't a monster that had been created by Zedd.

**Brother. Please, I beg of you. Stop me and return me to Draconis. Father is waiting.**

That voice was back again. Pulling up from a steep dive, Spike shook his head as an image flashed into his mind's eye of a seated dragon that had purple and red scales with green and gold highlights. There was some element of familiarity in the way the large dragon looked and it seemed to look directly into his soul. Apparently liking what it saw, the dragon nodded once before the image faded away. Shaking his head violently, he keyed the communication channel while dodging away from a wayward fireball.

"Guys, I was right about the dragon. I need to capture it and return it to Draconis. It's calling me 'brother' and I don't know why but I feel like it might be family."

A wall of noise came from the speakers as they all began speaking at once. He knew they were scared for him and, if he was truly honest with himself, he was scared for him as well. This would be his first solo outing where he would only have himself to rely on in case things went south. He bit back a chuckle as he realised that south was the direction he was most likely to be headed in. Firing off more 'scale missiles', he inwardly cheered as he succeeded in badly burning the claws of the beast in front of him and – if his Draconic anatomy was up to speed – seemingly damaging its throat.

"I know you're all worried for my safety and I accept that; but I need to know where I came from and my heritage. I also have a feeling that there is something I need to bring back from there; something only I can access. Please let me do this."

**Brother. Capture me now and leave for Draconis.**

"All right, Spike. It's your call. If you get into trouble, we'll be there as soon as we can. I am sending you the co-ordinated of Draconis…now."

Wordlessly activating the Capture Sphere, he saw a ball of energy form between the points of the pincers. He nodded at the string of barely comprehensible numbers that flashed on his screen before they were integrated into the onboard navigational computer. Firing off the energy sphere; he watched it grow rapidly and engulf the injured dragon in a seemingly impenetrable bubble of green tinted energy. Gingerly grasping the bubble with the tail pincers, he breathed a small sigh of relief when the dragon didn't break loose.

"I'll return this guy home and come back as soon as I can."

Swallowing hard, Spike turned the Dragon Jet to face the coast. Taking one final look over his shoulder at the lush, green lands of Equestria; he squared his shoulders as best as he could and inhaled shakily as the Dragon Jet streaked across the sky. As he passed over Deinos Terra Firma, he was unaware of the twin eyes that peeked out of the ruins of the Tomb of Discord and didn't see the stunned delight that shone in them. The owner of the eyes chuckled wickedly as the Dragon Jet vanished into the sky and rubbed her front hooves together.

Now…the attack could begin.

TBC…

AN: And now begins the Arc of Acceptance…


	68. Scattershot

AN: After a short break (for me to catch up with The Ultra Crystals), Rangers of Equestria returns!

Chapter 68: Scattershot

She wondered how it had come to this.

Princess Celestia stared in shock at the figure in front of her and tried to wrap her mind around the situation. Not less than thirty minutes ago, Twilight Sparkle's dragon assistant had left for Draconis with the dragon that had menaced Equestria. The scanners in the Command Tower had picked up a small burst of Interdimensional energy and she had sent Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy to investigate. Seeing as they weren't needed, Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been called away to help Billy with accessing something in Canterlot Crags. He would be giving them verbal instructions from the Command Tower and would be keeping an eye on them at all times. Twilight had offered to go to Joe's and get donuts for him and the Princesses and was out in Canterlot. She had asked Rarity if she had wanted to come along but the purple-maned unicorn had declined; saying something about needing to get back to her shop and begin making an order.

They had been completely caught off guard when it had happened.

Flashback

"_What's going on?"_

_Celestia whirled around as the alarms started blaring. Billy stopped in mid-sentence and rushed to the Scanning Station. Punching a few buttons, he swallowed hard and summoned his Morpher from its subspace pocket. Dark clouds gathered outside and over the open communication channel, the Princess of the Day could hear their Blue Ranger complain about how it wasn't supposed to rain for two weeks and she hid a small grin behind her front hoof. Behind her she could hear Luna reaching out with her own powers in an attempt to gather more information than the scanners could._

"_This doesn't make sense! It can't be possible for this energy to be both familiar and unfamiliar!"_

_Billy looked up from the scanner printouts and ran to the windows. The normally beautiful stained glass images were now ominously dark and audible thunder could be heard rumbling in the distance. Clenching his teeth together, Billy thought over everything the printouts had told him. The energy had been familiar as it had been flagged as the same type of dark energy that the creature on Deinos Terra Firma had been comprised of. On the other hand, it had also been unfamiliar as there were strange sparks of…something mixed in and that something was confusing the scanners. If he didn't know better; he would have said it was some innate goodness trying to get out of a mass of evil. Quickly, he relayed his thoughts to Celestia, but her reply was cut off as a barrage of calls came through the open channel._

"_Princess! There's a lot of those guard monsters Billy fought in the Everfree! Fluttershy and I are holding them off for now but…hold on!"_

"_Ah think we're gonna need some help, Billy! Three shadow critters have shown up and Ah don't know if we can take 'em on. We'll put up a good fight though!"_

_There was nothing from the Green Ranger except punctuated yells and grunts as it seemed she couldn't really break away from her own battle to talk. Strangely, the grunts from the monster sounded similar to her own…and Billy had the sneaking suspicion she was facing off against a mirrored clone. Before he could check up on the Purple Ranger, her voice broke through…yet she sounded inexplicably bored and somewhat bemused._

"_Fighting in Canterlot and it's another Nightmare Moon clone. Kinda bored now."_

_Fighting the urge to laugh out loud, Billy raced to the radar station to see what was happening to the Rangers. He could see the symbols that represented Pinkie and Fluttershy dancing around four black skulls. As he watched, one of the black skulls blinked out and a cry of victory was heard over the communication channel…so it seemed the duo was faring well. They needed the added power of the Ultra Rangers to defeat whatever evil was cropping up and he hoped they weren't facing the Countdown already. Glancing over at the symbols that represented Rainbow Dash and Applejack, he felt his heart skip a beat. It seemed that Applejack was unmoving or unconscious and Rainbow Dash was dragging her to safety. The three guard monsters could still be seen on the screen but they were hanging back a fair distance from the retreating Rangers. Scanning the maps, he flicked on a direct communications channel to the Blue Ranger._

"_Dash, there should be a cave or something like it up ahead. Get there and stay low. We'll send help whenever we can."_

"_No problem but it's betting awfully dark out here. I doubt it's the weather team…the clouds are too heavy."_

_The communication fizzled out into static and he hit the side of the console in an attempt to retrieve the signal. A muffled explosion from outside the Command Tower followed by mass cheers and hoof-stomps indicated that Twilight had managed to defeat the Nightmare Moon clone within record time…and he hoped she would be on her way to the Tower. Rarity was battling a black version of her own symbol which seemed par for the course with his theory that she was fighting a mirror of herself and from the looks of things; Spike had landed on Draconis and was in an audience with the Dragon King: Dryken._

_The doors buckled inward and all heads whipped to them. Outside, the winds picked up and whipped into a gale-force frenzy as lightning arced across the skies and thunder roared overhead. The pressure on the doors increased as both Princesses' horns lit up in an attempt to strengthen the defences on the doors. Billy's eyes widened as he internally revoked his earlier wish of wanting the Ultra Rangers in Equestria as he had a feeling they needed to face the coming storm without assistance. The windows exploded, sending glass whipping through the air, and dark clouds of energy streamed in from the holes. Princess Celestia beat her wings furiously as she tried to seal up the holes and stop the presence from invading their base. She could see Billy crawl to the communications console near the Dimensional Doorway and activate it. A loud explosion behind the door buckled it even further and she could see a strangely familiar shape through the cracks that were beginning to form. _

"_Weihan! Big trouble over here! Don't come through!"_

_The doors buckled with a groan and gave way as a torrent of inky blackness engulfed them. She could hear Billy yelling out something that was followed by the sound of rending metal and the smell of burning ozone. The haze cleared to reveal a large pony with a shaggy black mane and a dark red coat. Gruesomely, there was a long spire of bone that protruded from its head like some macabre parody of a horn and fresh blood dripped off it. The Cutie Mark on the pony's hindquarters showed a disturbingly realistic heart oozing some black substance and the only splash of colour on the pony were its strangely familiar bright yellow hooves._

"_It's Morphin Ti –"_

_At the aborted shout, she looked at Billy's form just in time to see six shadowy tendrils impale his body. The human croaked a shuddering cry of pain and surprise and dropped his Power Morpher to the ground with a clatter. A seventh shadowy tendril dove after the device and succeeded in skewering it through the reconstituted Power Coin. Her sister sprung into action with a ferocity she had only seen in Nightmare Moon's presence. Energised blades of light sliced through the tendrils holding the Blue Ranger off the ground and they retreated into the whirling maelstrom outside._

_End Flashback_

That brought them to the present moment. Luna had carefully dragged the unmoving body of Billy behind her and had retrieved the remnants of his Morpher from the ground. Incredibly, it seemed the metal device was repairing itself and using the Power Coin to do so. Princess Celestia could see that the human was leaking out blood at an alarming rate and the Dimensional Doorway was all but destroyed. If they couldn't drive back the monstrous pony in front of them…she didn't want to think about what would happen.

"You sealed me away and thought you got rid of me…but I am back!"

The voice that issued from the pony was hateful, harsh and seemed to be forcefully expelled from its ragged throat. It took one step towards the two alicorns and snorted angrily. Celestia took an unconscious step back as a question welled up from within her. Before she could even begin to open her mouth, dark energy exploded from the figure and it bellowed out in a loud voice that seemed to convey anger and suffering.

"Celestia; now you will feel my wrath!"

TBC…


	69. Dragonfire

AN: Backstory here but no XXX material (that was a few chapters ago)

Chapter 69: Dragonfire

He was seriously starting to wonder how big the world was.

He had been flying for around twenty minutes and according to the onboard computer, he was extremely close to Draconis. Spike sighed wistfully and looked out the side viewscreens at the endless blue ocean around him. He had deactivated the Flight Suit that Dragon Jet provided him with as he didn't think it would be a good idea to land on Draconis in anything but his naked scales. The dragon that was supposedly his brother wasn't giving him any more telepathic information but had assured him that he would be looked after. A soft beep caught his attention and he snapped his gaze to the main viewscreen. In the distance, he could just about see sheer rocky cliffs that were mercilessly beat against by pounding waves. Smoke rose from a number of active volcanos and he could see all manner of dragons writhing in the air…and attacking each other. Swallowing hard, he opened the throttle and sped towards the unfamiliar land.

The closer he came to the island, the more he was noticed. Dragons that had been clashing fiercely once before hovered in the air in amazement and shock as the metallic form wove through the air and even the eruptions seemed to have stopped momentarily. Scanning the rocky ground for a place to land, he spied a flat outcropping of rock that looked strong enough to support the weight of the Dragon Jet and his captive. Well, it certainly was strong enough to support the massive dragon that seemed to be waiting for him. Evenly breathing out his anxiety, he snaked the Dragon Mode toward the outcropping and transformed it back into the Jet Mode for a smaller surface area. Once he was positive that the pseudo-Zord had powered down sufficiently, he opened the cockpit hatch and stepped out onto the smooth surface of Draconis.

"It has come to my attention that you are here to return a wayward son of mine. As it stands, you have returned two of my sons to their homelands."

Looking up at the smooth and deep voice, Spike took a step back as he drank in the sight of the powerful animal in front of him with scales that strangely mirrored his own. A tremor of motion later and the sun's light was temporarily blocked out by its impressive wingspan. The reptilian beast's head lowered to the ground and pale pink eyes stared at the baby dragon; radiating warmth and love. Instead of the fear he expected, Spike found himself strangely comforted by the stare of the dragon and shakily stepped forward.

"Two sons? Who is the other one?"

"You are."

**Location: Main Throne Cavern**

"It is as you see here. The Spik Clan has ruled over Draconis for many generations. I took over from Drakor, my father and your grandfather, and someday you will take over from me. However, that day will come in the far, far future when all evils in the world have been defeated."

Spike followed the large dragon through the rocky halls of the mountain. He was still in shock upon learning that he was the first laid son of Dryken: the Ruler of Draconis. He guessed in Equestrian terms, he would be a Prince but he didn't feel much like one yet. The second laid – Drakonis – had been taken away by the Mystic Dragon Clans to attempt to reverse the confusion in the young dragon's mind. Upon enquiry of why Drakonis was named after the land below their feet, his father had paused, shrugged and mumbled something about it being a good idea at the time. He had been assured that no harm would befall his Jet but had strapped a communicator to his wrist just in case he needed to leave at a moment's notice. As they walked into a large cavern, Spike's mouth dropped open as he saw the mountains of glittering jewels around him. Cloudy shafts of crystal jutted out of the walls and the room seemed to have a presence all on its own…and a sense of deep time and meaning. Tearing his eyes away from the gems, his eyes opened impossibly wide as he looked at the Dragon in front of him.

It was a deep purple in colour and its eyes radiated warmth and wisdom in the same way Twilight's did. A ridge of pale green spines lined its back and its strangely multicoloured wings were folded up tightly against its body. It lifted its head up to the newcomer and nodded its horned head once before craning its neck up and blasting off a bright green and orange blast of fire into the air. Spike leant against his father for safety but was pushed forward to meet the aged beast whom he was sure was Drakor. When the aged dragon spoke, his voice rumbled like a lazy snore.

"Spike; the First Laid has returned to Draconis once more. Finally; the Prophecy is complete. Your time to rule Draconis has not yet come and you will be allowed to return to your new home. First, I will inform you of why you were chosen to stay in Equestria under the protection of the ponies."

Spike nodded slowly and sat down in front of his grandfather. Making himself comfortable, he blinked in surprise as a small mound of glittering gems was placed in front of him. His mouth watered as he could sense their age and he looked up at Dryken for confirmation. As his father nodded once, he picked up a small ruby and nibbled on it while waiting for his grandfather to begin his explanation.

"In Draconis, we are aware of what has been happening in Equestria. Although we did not act upon the information; we were aware that a great evil had arrived from another place. The coming of the evil was prophesised long ago in the Prophecy of Acceptance; yet it concerned the freeing of Discord and not the coming of Zedd. You were chosen to help fulfil the Prophecy as you were the only one who could. Although you do not possess much innate magic or psychic ability; your heart and predicted bonds to your friends allowed you to be the first chosen for the task at hand.

My son fought vehemently against sending your egg to Equestria but he relented after the Mystics informed him that you would only hatch when the Element of Magic awoke within your Guardian. We were only informed of the Element of Magic, so it came to become a great surprise when you managed to befriend the other Elements of Harmony upon your arrival in Ponyville. Another more pressing reason for your being sent to Equestria was the conditions in Draconis at the time. He had just ascended to the Throne and many other Clan Leaders were threatening him with your death…just to find the Spik Treasures which are of vital importance to fulfilling the Prophecy of Acceptance."

Spike looked thoughtful at the information he was receiving. From what he could gather, he had to leave so that his father could rule in peace without having to divulge the secret to the Spik Treasures…whatever they were. Popping the rest of the ruby into his mouth, he chewed the precious stone and thought about what everything meant. For some reason, the Spik Treasures were needed in the Prophecy but he had no idea what the treasures actually were. Motioning for his grandfather to continue, he was surprised when his father spoke directly to him.

"Son, before you learn anything further; are you prepared to take up the throne upon your full maturation?"

The baby dragon nodded once just as a wave of…something swept through his body. He didn't know why but he had a feeling something terrible had happened in Equestria. He was torn between staying to learn more and leaving to find out what had happened. Closing his eyes, he breathed rhythmically until he was calm enough to think rationally and considered it again. If he left now, he would be left with a multitude of questions that would be unanswered until his eventual return. The answer of what the Spik Treasures were would be lost to him and he had a feeling they were critical to the upcoming battles with Zedd. He opened his mouth and spoke in a slightly shaky voice.

"I will take up the throne when I mature and am old enough to bear the responsibility."

"Very well, son. Follow me."

**Location: Royal Vault**

"The Spik Treasures were handed down to us from a forgotten race of beings that supposedly came from the stars. Long before the rule of Celestia; they appeared to Drakor's grandfather, Rokard, and presented him with these."

Spike looked at the seemingly unassuming stones in front of him and raised an eye ridge. One was a small sphere of midnight blue crystal that seemingly radiated an internal light. Even from the distance he was standing from, the baby Dragon understood that it was brimming with power and one accidental bite would surely spell disaster for the unlucky dragon that did the biting. The other stone was a single carved flame that was set inside a small diamond-studded circlet of what looked like pure gold. It didn't seem to radiate as much power as the blue sphere but it was powerful in its own right.

"Here they are. The Sphere of Midnight and the Dragonfire Gem. Both incredibly powerful gems in their own right but the Sphere of Midnight will be useful to allow a great transformation to take place. Both of these have been waiting for you to take them with you."

Spike opened his mouth to thank his father when static erupted from his communicator. Shooting him an apologetic look, Spike fiddled with the controls until he heard Twilight's voice. The Purple Ranger sounded extremely worried and was almost on the verge of tears.

"Spike! There's been an emergency! We need you to come back now!"

Spike's mouth dried up and he looked at the Spik Treasures. He blinked in surprise as they vanished but something in his gut told him that they were in the Dragon Jet. Pressing the button on his communicator, he teleported back to his Dragon Jet…but not before his father said something that made him choke up.

"I am proud of you, my son. So very proud indeed."

TBC…


	70. Life Or Death

AN: And this chapter is finally done! Mucho props to the wonderfully talented Pony artist John Joseco who inspired this chapter with his drawing "Protecting the Ones you Love" all the way back in August before I even started writing!

Chapter 70: Life or Death

"Please wake up Applejack…"

The voice roused her from the darkness she had been in since the unexpected blast from the ape-like beast. The last thing she had heard was a pained shout from Rainbow Dash followed by the sound of blaster fire that had followed her all the way down into oblivion. Opening her eyes slowly, she lifted her head up and blearily looked around at the surroundings. There was nothing but rock as far as she could see and the only light came from an opening somewhere above her. The mouth of the cave was a few metres away and there was murky light shining through the opening. Above her was the extremely worried face of Rainbow Dash and it looked like the Pegasus had been crying.

"Heya Sugarcube; did we get them?"

Rainbow Dash fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes as she looked down at the Red Ranger. She wasn't any expert on injuries but had patched up her friend as best as her limited skills allowed. Most of her morphed energy had been expended on dragging Applejack's disturbingly still body up the path to the cave and placing obstacles in the path of their pursuers. Somewhere along the way, Applejack's hat had dropped off but she couldn't really stop and look for it; no matter the sentimental value the hat had. It had been no real surprise when she had forcefully demorphed after securing their location but she still had to patch AJ up. She had sacrificed a few of the feathers in her wings as soft bandages and had been forced to use the cloth rope they had been carrying for Billy as bandages.

The past ten minutes or so had been the worst as she had nothing to do but cry over Applejack's body and convince herself that everything would be all right. She wasn't so sure about the latter and had resolved to tell the blonde cowpony about her true feelings whenever she woke up. Flashes of the things she had forced Weihan to do to her in an attempt to prove her as straight flashed through her mind. She honestly felt bad for forcing him into her but it was painfully obvious that her heart lay with Applejack. Well, it was also obvious to him but he had informed her to not confess in an uncool life-or-death situation…or something along those lines. Managing a shaky smile, she chuckled hollowly.

"Yeah, they're gone for now. How are you feeling? I'm not Equestria's best medic but…"

"Ah think you did just fine. Mah nurse Rainbow Dash…that has a nice ring to it. Ah wonder what you'd look like…"

Applejack let the sentence trail off as she felt the area between her hind legs become damp. Judging from the light blush on Rainbow's cheeks, the Pegasus was thinking the same idea…but she didn't know how she felt about it. She was starting to understand why Billy had told her to not wait until she was in a life-or-death situation and cursed herself for waiting so long. Gingerly flexing her legs, she let out a whimper of pain as a red-hot spear of agony lanced up her left front leg. In an instant, Rainbow Dash was by her side and was softly massaging the area while muttering to herself. If she wasn't in so much pain, she would have smiled as it half confirmed her suspicions.

Tearing off a piece of cloth as quietly as she could, Rainbow plucked a few more feathers from her wings and gently laid them on Applejack's leg, above the knee. She didn't think the bone was broken or fractured but she wasn't willing to take the risk that it wasn't and end up doing more damage in the future. Wrapping the cloth around the affected limb, she picked up the end of the cloth in her teeth and slowly wound it around the plucked feathers. Glancing at Applejack, she saw that the cowpony's eyes had closed. Acting on a whim, she gently kissed the wrapped leg and turned away.

"Thanks fer that, Dash. It feels better now."

She froze and looked back tentatively; expecting the last comment to have been a joke of some kind. Looking deep into her eyes, she was shocked to not see mild disgust but humour, appreciation…and love. She stepped towards the cowpony slowly and dipped her head down to hers. There was something she needed to know but she waited for Applejack to have the first word.

"Rainbow Dash, Ah…Ah have somethin' ta say to you. It might change the way you feel about me but Ah doubt that will happen."

Applejack let her words trail off and chewed on her bottom lip. Her heart and mind were churning messes of uneasiness and the hope that she wouldn't lose her oldest and dearest friend over her next words. She had expected to confess to her in a different time and place than now and she hated to go against Billy's words but a life-or-death situation seemed to be the best time and place for confessions. She inhaled deeply and let it all come out in a barely-controlled jumble of words.

"Ah'm in love with you. Ah know it ain't exactly what a normal pony would call 'proper' but Ah'm a farm pony an' Ah'll be that way all mah life. Ah love you for the way you make me feel, your undyin' loyalty to those around you and the way you care deeply 'bout your friends."

Rainbow Dash blinked at her and her heart sank to the depths of her chest. If she lost her friendship now, she knew it would devastate her future and she would probably have to leave the Rangers. If she asked nicely enough, she could even probably live permanently with AJ in the other dimension and maybe even find a stallion to be with…even though she would always love Rainbow Dash forever. She closed her eyes and was about to face the wall when she felt a strange sensation on her lips. Whatever it was, it felt warm and feather-light…almost as if it would fly away at a moment's notice.

Thinking she was dreaming, she opened her mouth to speak when the sensation deepened and became more intense. A strange feeling of familiarity welled up from deep within her and she wondered where she had ever felt something that felt this good. The feeling continued and she moaned softly as the wetness grew and she felt hooves lifting up her head. As the feeling tapered away, she slowly opened her eyes to see Rainbow Dash pulling away from her face; a small smile forming on the mare's lips. Running a tongue over her lips; Applejack's heart beat faster as she realised that her love felt the same way…but waited for the weather pony to say it from her heart.

"Applejack, I…Oh Celestia, this is harder to say than I thought. I'm in love with you as well but I didn't want to admit it to myself. I should have told you sooner but I…I was scared you would reject me."

Shaking her head, Applejack craned her neck up and kissed Rainbow Dash's cheek softly – despite the mild pain it caused. They knew how the other felt and could move on with their lives together. Nuzzling Applejack's cheek, Dash opened her mouth to whisper in her ear when an explosion outside made her breath hitch in her chest. She had forgotten about the three monsters that had been after them and she silently summoned her Element Morpher to her. Stepping in front of Applejack, she lowered her head and pawed the ground in anticipation of a fight to protect her lover. A larger explosion at the mouth of the cave sent a wave of smoke that obscured the entrance and Applejack laid her head on her hooves and prayed for Rainbow's safety. As a figure loomed from within the smoke, she shared a look with Rainbow Dash and swallowed hard.

"Is anyone there? Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Are you in here?"

Blinking at the familiar voice, Rainbow couldn't speak as the somewhat battered form of Twilight appeared through the smoke. The Blue Ranger could see that her uniform was scuffed and dirty but she was alive and willing to help them. Seeing Applejack's state, the Purple Ranger raced to the side of the Red Ranger and used her magic to gently lift up the cowpony. Placing her on Rainbow's back, Twilight summoned a slightly battered item from one of her subspace pockets and gave it to Rainbow Dash to place on Applejack. The Red Ranger smiled in thanks as her Stetson slid onto her head and she looked at Twilight expectantly. The Purple Ranger shook her head and spoke in a low voice.

"The Princess needs us."

TBC…


	71. Heart of Darkness

AN: BH reveals herself…and drops a few new interesting tidbits on her time with Celestia. And why do my stories always seem to get darker and darker without my approval? Honestly…they're falling too damn slow! Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 71: Heart of Darkness

_A few minutes earlier…_

She shut her eyes and waited for the end.

After a while, she opened her eyes to see her sister in front of her; shielding her from the bolts of darkness. Glancing at the still form of Billy on the ground, Princess Celestia noted that there was a strange energy covering the human that wasn't allowing any more blood to escape. Gaping at the energy that was ripping into Luna's body, she shouted over the noise. She _had_ to know the identity of the being in front of them.

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

The dark pony broke off its attack and snorted darkly. After all this time, she had forgotten its identity. Well, in all actuality, so had it but it had created a new name for itself based on its new Cutie Mark. It opened its mouth and spoke in a low voice that dripped hatred and contempt.

"My name…you once knew who I was once. In the dead of night before the Darkness came, we called to each other and you called me the light in the darkness. Remember those times we danced together under the moonlight, Celestia? Our hopes and dreams were one – as were our bodies but you left me to die in that cold and rocky place with the Bringer of Darkness. You turned your perverted gaze on me as he penetrated the slit you tenderly licked!"

Luna turned and stared at her sister incredulously as she fought a rising blush from appearing on her cheeks. She had some idea about the loneliness her sister had endured in the years after her imprisonment on the moon. Never in her wildest imaginations would she have ever thought that her sister could be attracted to such a rough-looking pony with such a harsh and hateful voice – never mind the extreme dark magics that had been concentrated within that attack! She opened her mouth to defend her sister when a shocked reply came from the pony behind her.

"Light…no, it can't be! Shining Light…is that you?"

The Princess of the Night's eyes widened as she spun around to face her sisters supposed friend. Her sister had been very tight-lipped about revealing too much information about the time she spent after Discord's overthrow of her power and this was the first she had heard of Shining Light since she had heard her sister inform Billy about what had happened during Discord's reign. To think that the two ponies had been so close as to share a sexual relationship was…well; it was rather sweet if one ignored the present moment. Almost as if reading Luna's thoughts, the pony that once called itself Shining Light nodded once. When it spoke, some of the harshness had vanished and a soft spoken voice shone through.

"Yes, I am – or rather was – Shining Light. I do not know what happened to me during my imprisonment but I awoke a few weeks ago and created a set of guards to watch over my awakening. Then, one of them was destroyed brutally by the being you are protecting. If you will stand aside, I will destroy the being and then make your own death painless."

Coming to her senses, Celestia forced herself to shake her head as she willed her legs to move in front of Billy. Former friend or not, she would not allow any harm or misfortune to come to her present friends. Drawing in a deep, shuddering breath, she charged magic into her horn and fired off a fairly weak and unstable blast in Shining Light's direction. The energy impacted against her front legs and Shining Light looked down in sorrow.

"So be it. The pony you once knew as Shining Light is now gone forever. No amount of love will bring her out of me. I am now Blackened Heart and I will destroy you as my first Royal Duty!"

Luna recoiled in horror and fired off a strong blast of magic at the twisted pony in front of her. The energy struck the blood-red pony's head and knocked her back onto her rump. Charging up another blast, she fired again and again; each time sending her powerful magic into the dark creature in front of her. She was aware she needed to stop but she couldn't…not until every trace of the monster had been erased from Equestria. Ducking her head, she charged her horn once more but blinked in surprise as Blackened Heart vanished from view.

Forcing herself to step away from the mortally injured Billy, Princess Luna flared her nostrils in anger and tried to sense the overwhelmingly evil presence of Blackened Heart. All she could hear was her own heartbeat and the muffled sobs of her sister as she cried into her wings. Walking towards the ruins of the doors, she peered out into the hall beyond and relaxed slightly. It was clear to her that Blackened Heart had seemingly given up while she had the upper hoof and was allowing them to lick their wounds.

"_Look out_!"

Whirling around at the shout, she nimbly leaped to one side as two powerful hooves crashed down on the area she had been standing in moments earlier. Ducking her head, she charged at the shadowy figure in front of her and flash-teleported directly behind the twisted pony and thrust her head forward. Swallowing hard as her horn sunk into Blackened Heart's soft flank; she forced herself to throw her head back and fling the seemingly corrupted pony into the nearby wall…except moments before impact, Blackened Heart vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Princess Luna; I remember you before you turned to the Darkness. My mother used to spend hours talking with you and the two of you weaved together the Prophecy of Acceptance! Do not think that I never knew about it! I was brought up with that ditty in my brain and it was forced upon me to take the position! You cruel mare…you manipulative bitch!"

"Stop that now! _Magic Blast!_"

Blackened Heart whirled at the voice and her eyes widened as twin beams of purple flame engulfed her and set her fur alight. Screaming in pain, she rolled on the ground until she was fully extinguished and looked at her attacker. In front of her was a strange creature indeed. It had the general body shape and horn of a unicorn but was covered in some sort of Purple material. Its head was covered by some sort of helmet with a full-face visor in the shape of a six-pointed star. Two large metal devices sat on her shoulders and the open ends glowed with a dangerous light. Growling under her breath, she realised this was one of the biped's followers and bared her teeth in frustration. There was something she was missing but she was so close to fulfilling her revenge!

"I will return."

Blinking under her helmet, Twilight's aim never faltered on the dark red pony in front of her. She could see that Billy was extremely injured, the Command Tower was a wreck and Princess Celestia was weeping into her wings. There was also the fact that Princess Luna looked like she was going to collapse at any moment. She readied herself to fire again…when the pony in front of her vanished in a burst of flame; leaving behind a rather ominous warning.

"I will give you five hours until I return."

TBC…


	72. Dark Rangers

Chapter 72: Dark Rangers

He blasted another charge at the opening.

As expected, it bounced off the strange barrier that had been set in place by the equally strange shadow that had swooped down out of nowhere. Lord Zedd grumbled to himself as he raised his hoof-hand and knocked on the magic barrier. He could still see out to the Everfree Forest but he didn't know if anyone could see in or if attacks worked from the opposite direction. Rolling his eyes behind his visor, he snorted as he heard a muffled thump from one of the back rooms. At least one part of their plan had been completed before the barrier had snapped into place. Tricksy was weaving together a spell that would bind their minds to his will and make them only loyal to him. Of course, like any spell, there was a way it could be broken but it required an extremely large amount of Light-aligned energy that had slight traces of evil in it. Even in a world filled to the brim with dragons, talking ponies and strange quasi-mythological creatures…it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

He seriously hadn't expected on being able to snag the former Yellow Zeo Ranger either as the spell that Discord had 'cast' had been directed only at individuals with actual Ninjetti Power inside them. As far as he was aware, the only time Ninjetti Power could be in a person was if they went on a Power Quest on Phaedos…or if the person shared extremely intimate relations with a Ranger with the same colour bond. Shaking his head, he vowed to not think those thoughts until the Ranger in question was totally under his command. Another thump made him snort as he realised the recovery period for at least one of the transported Rangers had been extremely short but he was sure Discord could handle it. If he couldn't…well, there was a reason Gilda was in the shadows.

Turning around and walking to his throne, he reflected on his plans for the Rangers and his earlier failed Dark Ranger plan. His host had used an extremely uneven variant of the spell and it had shown in the resulting forms of the Dark Rangers. Instead of the menacing forms that he would later see on the Psycho Rangers, the first batch of Dark Rangers looked like people in extremely shoddy Putty costumes. It had almost been a relief that they hadn't been allowed into the public as his image of a serious villain would have been destroyed. The more refined version would send fear into the heart of the Blue Morphin Ranger as he was attacked by his team remorselessly and he would be crushed when the Rangers were forced to destroy them. It was almost too poetic…

"Zedd! I'll destroy you!"

He scoffed at the shouted comment from behind the door and mentally urged Discord and Tricksy to hurry with the sealing spell. They would be trained to ensure their skills were up to par and they were efficient in battling quadruped creatures. If sacrificing a few Centaurs meant his Rangers were that little bit deadlier then so be it. When he attacked with the Dark Rangers, he wanted to know that the Rangers would be crushed under the soles of his feet. Not even the so-called 'Ultra' Rangers would be able to help them as they would more than likely be too afraid of hurting their friends' counterparts…which was a pathetic display of sappiness.

Trying hard to block out the sounds behind him, he jumped back in alarm as three yellowish laser blasts smacked against the other side of the barrier. Slowly rising from his seat, he walked toward the mouth of the cavern warily. If the Rangers knew of his location and were planning to attack it…he would ensure none of them made it out alive. The black cloud had probably been a strange scouting spell of the unicorn's that was mixed with a strong barrier spell. The only positive he could think of was that the magic power that was required would have probably dealt a heavy blow to the reaction time of the…wait; was that the sound of fighting he was hearing?

Pressing his face up against the barrier as much as he could, his eyes widened as he spied the Yellow and Pink Rangers in full morph attacking three apish shadow creatures. He inhaled in surprise as the normally meek and scared Yellow Ranger charged up her tail blaster and fired off a large shot of energy that destroyed one of the creatures outright. The Pink Ranger turned to wave briefly before summoning her flank cannon and firing out what seemed to be…laser pellets…at the two remaining creatures. One creature exploded, while the other roared fiercely before charging at the two Rangers – who wisely ran away. Rubbing his forehead slightly, Zedd digested the new turn of events while watching the remains smoulder.

The Power Rangers were not behind the strange black cloud. Instead, it seemed that the strange energy was attacking the Rangers and didn't want his expertise and experience. Whoever or whatever it was would be doomed to fail but Zedd shrugged his shoulders as a loud crash sounded from behind him.

They needed the time away from the Rangers anyway…

TBC…


	73. Half Solved

AN: Half solved…but there is still room for improvement. In future chapters: new powers, new forms, new allies and…a new enemy?

Chapter 73: Half Solved

He was floating in darkness.

No matter where he looked, he could see absolutely nothing. He was aware that he had been gravely injured but as he patted his body down, he could see no sign of any wound. There were muffled sounds in the distance as well; crying and alarms as well as blasts of some kind. He tried to remember something else other than his injuries but kept coming up blank – almost as if the memories had been removed or blocked. Upon his realisation, he felt solid ground under his feet and he dropped into a crouch; grateful to feel something real. The floor was cold and was icy to the touch. Maybe it was a marble floor or a wooden one…he didn't know. All he saw was a pinpoint of light in the inky sea around him.

Walking towards the light, he began to feel slightly anxious about something. There was something up ahead that he was blocking from his mind…something that was extremely painful to him. He shrugged it off and continued walking towards the light…despite the overwhelming feeling that it was a bad idea. As his surroundings began to be lit up, he stopped in his tracks as he surveyed his surroundings. He was in the middle of a lush jungle and all around him were the sounds of battle. His heart stopped in his chest as he heard an achingly familiar voice from up ahead; sending him into a dead run in the direction of the voice.

"Ha! Got that one good!"

He ran in a blind panic and only stopped short as he saw the scene in front of him. A monster in oversized blue armour lowered a strange gun-like weapon and chuckled throatily. He could only watch in amazement as a strange figure leapt at the monster, only to be batted easily away. The figure crashed into the ground and he leapt at the monster in defence of the figure. To his great shock, he passed through the monster and could only watch in horror as the monster's blaster rose up once more.

_Rygog_

He blinked at the strange name and the scene froze. Walking towards the frozen monster, he circled it warily and studies its familiar features. Slowly, bits and pieces of his memory began to come back to him and he collapsed to the ground as a wave of mental anguish washed through him. His name was Billy Cranston, the creature in front of him was Rygog and he was on the planet Aquitar and Rygog had just shot at…at…he couldn't bring himself to finish the thought or even to look at the place where he knew she lay. Tearing his eyes away from the grisly tableau in front of him, he looked at the sky and wondered why he was seeing this trauma from his past. As if answering him, he heard the 'action' resume behind him.

The wave of golden light slammed into Rygog but Billy would not look at the scene. He knew his double was crawling to Cestria's heavily wounded body. Tears pooled in his eyes as he heard Cestria's dying words and they ran freely down his cheeks as he wondered if he was dead and this was his own personal Hell. As the scene finished, the surrounding areas faded to black and he shakily sighed in relief. Closing his eyes to block out the depressing sea of never-ending black; his breath hitched in his throat as he heard the five words that signalled his continuing torture.

"Ha! Got that one good!"

Running in the opposite direction, he stumbled on an upturned root and fell onto his face in the dirt. Looking up, he hastily averted his eyes as Cestria fell in front of him and he heard himself scream in rage. Opening his mouth to speak, his voice was filled with a combination of rage and grief.

"Why am I watching this? I've dealt with this!"

"No you have not."

Through the greenery around him came the familiar voice of his Zordon and he felt his blood start to boil. Forcibly attempting to calm himself down, he blinked in surprise as a humanoid figure walked through the bush. While the bipedal form was a new look for him, Billy knew immediately that it was Zordon…but he didn't want to believe it. Zordon was dead and didn't seem to want to come back from…wherever he was. Unless he was proven otherwise, he would think of the biped as an illusion created by his personal Hell. The ancient sage snorted in distaste at the brutality in front of him and crouched down next to the Blue Ranger. Lightly running his hands over the head of the Blue Ranger, the ghostly mentor's eyes widened as he saw an image of himself speaking to Billy through what appeared to be a dimensional communication screen…or something like that.

"Billy, please look at me. I am sorry for not being able to save your wife. Even upon my death, I was still bound to the rules and regulations present on that dimensional plane. There were simply things that even I could not go against."

Billy rubbed his eyes furiously as the words of the illusion sunk in. Stubbornly, he shook his head and attempted to curl up even tighter as the sounds of Cestria's death repeated over and over again.

"Please, Billy, look at me. I am not an illusion conjured up by this place. This is the place between life and death; a sort of coma-world if you will. You were heavily wounded in your defence of the two Princesses and only quick thinking on Luna's part allowed you to not bleed to death. Now, you are in a self-induced coma and can only awaken when you accept that Cestria's death was not my fault and –"

"And that it was destiny that ripped her away from me? I'm not stupid, Zordon. You think I didn't know what was happening on Earth when I was on Inquiris? I knew that the Red Time Force Ranger was able to defeat his destiny so…why couldn't you bring her back? Was it that important to the timeline that she had to die?"

Zordon's heart broke at the raw emotion in the voice of the Blue Ranger. No matter how one looked at it; the death of Billy's wife was pivotal in placing him in the correct frame of mind needed for him to come to Equestria and guide the ponies. It was one of the things that couldn't be changed as even the delay of Cestria's death in the Countdown would mean that she would be killed later. It was somewhat akin to the 'Final Destination' movies that kept cropping up in various dimensions…well, with less gore maybe. He hated to do what he was about to do but it was absolutely vital that Billy continue to live past this moment in time.

"Billy, please listen to him."

The achingly familiar voice bit into his heart and he uncurled to look up at the figure walking slowly toward him. Unlike the last time he had seen her, she wore a flowing blue gown that was decorate with his three main Power Animals and a strange spherical gem. The dying pain in her eyes was replaced by the look of serene compassion she always used to have when she was with him. On the third finger on her left hand, she wore a simple golden band with three diamond chips set around a small sapphire. He opened his mouth to speak…but all that would come out was a throaty whisper filled with disbelief.

"Cestria? It…it can't be possible…"

"Within these lands; anything is possible."

In a swift motion, he leapt up and flung his arms around her in a bear hug. He cried out as the hole in his heart was finally mended after so long and he wanted to stay with her forever. Zordon looked at the reunited lovers and smiled to himself. The pieces were all in place…except one. Clearing his throat lightly and catching the attention of Cestria, he nodded once with a mournful look in his eyes. Nodding back, the Aquitian closed her eyes and gently rubbed her husband's back. It had been extremely painful for her to accept the fact that her death was one of the critical events that had to happen in order to defeat Zedd but she was allowed to watch his progress from inside the Grid. She had seen him learn, grow and even accept help from the equine inhabitants of the world. Yet, there was one thing in particular that she was extremely proud of him for doing.

"I have been watching over you for a long while and I am extremely proud of all you have done since my passing. I was very surprised and proud when you even managed to accept and befriend Divatox. Why were you able to do that?"

Billy leant back from her and looked her in the eyes. Even when he was talking with the Zordon from the other dimension, he had glossed over the reasons why he had accepted Divatox. Throwing his mind back to the days before his decision, he opened his mouth to speak when a thought struck him. Cestria had said that she was watching him through the Grid…so she would know the reasons behind his actions. Internally shaking his head, he smiled as he realised he needed to say the words out loud once more.

"Because she needed the acceptance. She hadn't been in control of her actions prior to the Countdown but a few weeks before the battle, she had thrown off Dark Spectre's control and attacked Aquitar of her own volition. After the wave, she was tortured by her knowledge and the blood that was on her hands. She needed a kindred spirit that would understand what it was like to willingly make a choice, or not make any choice, and have the outcome spiral out of control. I…I could accept her after that as she…she…"

He shook his head as the words jammed in his throat. He knew in his heart that there was nothing that could really be done for Cestria even if he was able to get her help in time. And yet…he knew that he should have tried harder to save her. That was the issue here; not that he was angry with Zordon any less as he knew the ancient sage could have brought her back from the edge of death.

"I could not bring her back; although I wanted so desperately to do so. Billy; if she was not taken from you, you would not be here. You would have had no reason to leave Aquitar and travel the Universe. When the call came that Zedd was travelling the dimensions, you would not have jumped so readily at the chance to leave everything behind. Please accept that her death was not my fault and if I could have, I would have brought her back to you in an instant."

Billy heard the weight of emotion behind the words and nodded slowly. The jungle all around them faded into shadow and Billy could now hear the same sounds as he had heard when he had woken up. Crying, shouts of panic and a sense of frantic energy in the air. Out of the dull buzz, a voice broke through and made him realise that he couldn't stay…no matter how much he wanted to.

"Billy, you gotta wake up soon. Blackened Heart has only given us five hours and we need a strategy. We need you to wake up! Please…wake up…"

"Rainbow Dash…"

The name fell from his lips and Cestria stepped out of his limp arms. Moving next to Zordon, she opened her mouth.

"Do you accept that it wasn't Zordon's fault?"

He nodded once and sighed. Opening his mouth, he forced himself to open his heart to the truth he already knew.

"I accept that it wasn't Zordon's fault that you died. If anything…I should have acted more quickly. It's not Zordon's fault…but mine and mine alone."

Zordon looked at Cestria and shrugged his shoulders once as the surrounding area began to crack and splinter apart. Billy accepting Zordon was a start but it would not unlock the true potential of the Power...but it was a start at least. Placing a hand on top of Billy's head, he muttered an incantation under his breath and transferred all the information he knew into the mind of the Blue Ranger – including the Prophecy of Acceptance.

His destiny was at hand…

TBC…


	74. Prophecy

AN: 51 chapters after it was 'spoiled', the full version of the flash is revealed! Also, the four beings were hinted at in TUC Chapter 126…

Chapter 74: Prophecy

Something was burning.

He could smell the smoke in the air as it drifted past his nostrils. He coughed to force the stale air out of his lungs and opened his eyes. He jumped slightly as he found a pair of light blue eyes staring intently into his face and wondered if he was still dreaming. The voice he heard next made him realise he wasn't in the dream-world any more.

"Hey! He's awake! The Princesses healed him and he's awake!"

Billy sat up as the hyperactive form of Pinkie Pie bounced off through a gaping hole in the wall. Forcing himself to swing his legs over the edge of the Med Bed, he placed his head in his hands and tried to sort out all the information that had been dumped in by…by Zordon. He remembered finally accepting that Zordon hadn't been at fault when Cestria had died and that had uncovered the underlying issue…the inability to accept that he hadn't done everything he could. He would allocate some time in the future to attempt to dispel that way of thinking but now just wasn't the time. Running his hands over his clothes, he shuddered as he felt dried blood around six small holes in the front of his shirt. He didn't have to look to know that the same holes were probably present on the back of his shirt as well. Shifting his weight on the Med Bed, he felt the familiar weight of his Morpher next to his hand and he picked up the unique device.

He recalled the last image he had seen before his world went black – a tendril destroying his reformed Power Coin and skewering the Morpher. Yet, there were no holes anywhere in the device. The Power Coin was missing, but that was to be expected if the Prophecy would come true. As far as he was aware, he had ticked off all the necessary boxes needed…but he still felt that there was an obstacle in his path. Whatever that was, he wasn't sure of but he would break through it to grasp the prize with both hands. Whatever the prize was…he wasn't so sure of. Shaking his head, he thought about what Pinkie had just told him…that the Princesses had used their magic to heal him. Judging from the holes in his shirt; he would have been extremely close to death for them to attempt something so dangerously risky…

"Billy!"

Six voices rang out and the Blue Ranger found himself being hugged from all angles by the other Rangers. He smiled and laughed as they pressed themselves against him and decided that, although Cestria was gone, he had much more to live for. Raising his head, he smiled at the two Princesses and mouthed his thanks while looking at the slight changes in their appearance. Princess Celestia had been crying heavily as her eyes were slightly puffy and her nose was bright red. She looked tired, shell-shocked and seemingly was barely holding herself together. On the other hand, Princess Luna looked much more tired than her sister and was leaning against the wall with half-closed eyes. There were slight burns spotted on her coat and her mane was lacking the angelic flow it usually possessed.

"What happened?"

The six Rangers broke away from him and stood around him. The look on their faces was one of sorrow and confusion…almost as if they didn't know what they were dealing with. As that was the case, Billy sighed heavily and picked up his empty Morpher from where it had fallen in the mass hug. Pressing the red button on the side, he felt a slight tingle of power run through his body as it struggled in vain to connect with a Power Transformer of some kind. Twilight looked away as she knew that Billy would more than likely never be able to morph again…unless the Orange Ranger came through the Dimensional Doorway. Seeing as the device was now beyond the stage in which they could repair it…well, it didn't seem possible anytime soon. She opened her mouth to console the now-former Ranger when a voice from the Main Hall broke through.

"What happened here?"

Breaking away from the group, she galloped outside to see Spike looking around him in shock. In one of his claws, he was holding a strange spherical crystal that seemed to radiate an internal light. If she didn't know better, she would have said it looked extremely similar to an Element of Harmony…but there were only six Elements in all of Equestria. There were references to a seventh Element in some of the extremely old scrolls she had read during her studies under Princess Celestia but the details had been extremely vague. She tackled him to the ground and hugged the baby dragon as hard as she could.

"Twi, what's all this? What happened here?"

The Purple Ranger slowly detached herself from the small dragon and looked around at the Command Tower. Consoles had been ripped out of the floor and there was a disturbingly large puddle of congealing blood near what had once been the Dimensional Doorway. Next to said puddle of blood were small slivers of gold that still sparked with small bolts of blue and gold energy. Where a few of the windows had been were now gaping holes. She shook her head as she remembered weaving the spells that would protect anypony outside from peering in and discovering their identities. In fact; the only structure that hadn't been damaged in some way was the crystal tube that Dimitria would have been housed in…if the Inquiran woman hadn't left suddenly on a bout of urgent business. Where the 'urgent business' was, the Purple Ranger didn't know.

"We were attacked by a face from Princess Celestia's past. One of her extremely close friends has been corrupted by the darkness and calls herself Blackened Heart. We still don't know how she was able to bypass the shields but she attacked us when we were split apart. Did you find what you were looking for in Draconis?"

Spike nodded once and held up the Sphere of Midnight. Despite his attempts to ask his father, Dryken had been remarkably tight-lipped about what the 'great transformation' would be. As the light filtered through it; he could swear that he could see images forming in the depths. Shaking his head, he followed Twilight through a large hole in the wall to where Billy was leaning against the Med Bed. There were six small holes in his shirt that were ringed with blood and Spike had to force himself to not look back at the puddle of blood. The Blue Ranger seemed slightly shaken and seemed to be in the middle of explaining something to the others.

"I can't fight morphed until my Coin is repaired. The Morpher is virtually undamaged but it should be fine until then. The only thing I'm slightly blurry on is what he meant by the Prophecy of Acceptance. Do you have any ideas on what could be meant?"

Princess Celestia nodded her head tiredly. She had still not yet recovered from the shock of the reveal of Blackened Heart's true identity but she was much better than she had been earlier. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears as it was laced with a great tiredness.

"The Prophecy of Acceptance states that a great evil will rise out from Deinos Terra Firma after another evil escapes and only an Accepted Soul can defeat it. The Prophecy was made a few centuries before both Luna and I came into being and was only written down by the followers of the one who had uttered it – the great Unicorn thinker: Hoofstrodamus. Until recently, I thought of it as nonsense and the ramblings of a dying mind…but with the arrival of Billy around a year ago, I have begun to put more and more thought into it."

Billy nodded once but noticed Princess Luna was shifting her gaze around; almost as if she was privy to information the others weren't. Upon noticing Billy's gaze; the Princess of the Night sighed heavily and begun to speak.

"I am blurry on my time as Nightmare Moon; but I remember a strange incident a century or two before my release. It was said that the stars would aid in my escape…but the four stars that were constantly around the moon were not traditional stars. They were four beings that were encased in bright energy fields who could manipulate their surroundings to some extent. The brightest star said that Nightmare Moon's release was one of the pivotal points to complete the Prophecy of Acceptance and could not happen until the time was right."

"But what about this? My father, Dryken, said that it was important for the Prophecy to be fully completed."

Heads turned to Spike and the sphere of crystal he held in his claws. The crystal seemed to be calling to Billy in that strange hypnotic way his Power Coin did and he wondered if this was indeed another chance to be a Ranger again. Princess Celestia stifled a shocked and surprised gasp from Billy, but the other Rangers looked at her curiously and she sighed to herself. She would have to tell the others what that small sphere of crystal was but only when Billy was not present. She didn't want to burden him with extra knowledge or pressure him into making a hasty decision. Running her tongue over her teeth, she realised she had to say something that would convince Billy to take the sphere.

"Spike, that is correct. The Sphere of Midnight can only be used by one who has held a great power before…or so the myth surrounding it states. Billy, you are the only one here who has held a form of great power so I can only infer that it is meant for you."

Stepping away from the Med Bed, Billy walked towards Spike and plucked the offered crystal from his claws. He held it aloft and watched as its glow seemed to become slightly brighter. It felt warm in his hands and its surface was flawlessly polished. Glancing down at his ragged shirt, he grimaced to himself. Blackened Heart had seriously done a number on him but the magic of the Princesses had healed him from the brink of death. His heart also felt slightly lighter in his coma-dream that Zordon's inability to bring back Cestria was not his fault…but there was an added weight that hadn't been there before. Retrieving his Morpher from the Med Bed, he clicked it open and placed the spherical gem into the depression; feeling the clamps secure it tightly to the device. A small orange and blue ripple of energy ran over the Morpher and Billy raised an eyebrow at it.

"The myths state that this will allow a great transformation to happen but only half-way. The method to unlock the other half has been lost to the ages."

Nodding at Celestia's voice, Billy closed his Morpher and inhaled sharply as the silver, red and black colouration changed to dark blue, gold and orange. He guessed the orange was due to the Ultra Energy that had been infused in his Morpher but didn't really care. If that strengthened his Powers, then that would be a great asset to the Rangers. Studying his morpher, his eyes narrowed as he felt a flash of determination.

He would complete the Prophecy and bring Light into the world once more.

TBC…


	75. Lost Element

AN: Why nopony really knew what the Sphere of Midnight really was…except for Celestia. And 100K words on 4/4/12! Finally...

Chapter 75: Lost Element

Location: Command Tower

"By the stars above…"

Heads turned from Billy's departure to the Training Rooms to the two Princesses. They seemed to be in a state of deep shock with Princess Celestia being the most affected by…something. Applejack cocked an eyebrow as she leant closer to Rainbow Dash. After her dramatic rescue from the crags, Twilight had teleported the both of them to the Command Tower and healed them with a combination of her magic and the Med Bed. She had looked at their close proximity with some degree of bewilderment but had quickly caught onto what had happened…and had apologised for ruining their 'moment'.

"Princess, D'ya know something more?"

Shaking herself out of her shock, the Monarch of Equestria waited until the human was out of earshot before opening her mouth.

"What I am about to say should only be revealed to Billy after he has gained the full powers of the Sphere of Midnight; or as it was once called – the seventh Element of Harmony."

Jaws dropped open and eyes widened as the new information sank into the Rangers' minds. The thought of a seventh Element of Harmony was mind-boggling to all…but Twilight. She nodded once as she remembered seeing descriptions of the seven Elements of Harmony in those old scrolls but to hear actual confirmation that a seventh Element existed…even if it was with the Dragons, Princess Celestia should have gathered it to seal away Nightmare Moon the first time. The only possible explanation for that was…no, the ancient scrolls mentioned the seventh Element as if the writers had actually seen it with their own eyes. On the other hoof, the information about the seventh Element was pretty vague in and of itself.

"Yes, there is a seventh Element of Harmony but unlike the other six; its origins are shrouded in mystery. As you are aware, the six Elements are said to be the strongest magic known to ponydom and, now that they had been combined with the Zeo Crystal; that is certainly true. The Seventh is said to have been brought to Equestria by a race of strange beings from the stars beyond what could be controlled. Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns alike saw what the seventh Element could do but the Element was taken from them and granted to the Dragons of Draconis along with another powerful artefact.

The information on this lost Element is scant as even the fabled Starswirl The Bearded only had a fleeting glimpse of them. However, his impressions and thoughts were passed down to me before his passing. He said that upon looking at it for the short amount of time he did; it seemed to make him accept the fact that he had a great amount of magic potential inside of him and could do things no ordinary Unicorn would ever hope to achieve in their lifetimes. He went on to say that from the reactions of the other observers; it seemed that the crystal was allowing them to accept their true natures and accept their Cutie Marks for what they were."

Twilight's mind was whirling with the new information. She had always known that her mentor had met Starswirl The Bearded before his death and had taken his teachings to heart…but to learn that he had seen the supposed lost Element was…unimaginably incredible. She briefly wondered what the seventh Element was supposed to represent and, as if reading her thoughts, Princess Celestia opened her mouth to speak once more.

"From this, I was able to deduce that the seventh Element is that of Acceptance; which is absolutely vital in finding true friendship. Some have suggested that it is only second in Power to Magic or even stronger than Magic as the Magic of true friendship cannot be achieved unless one accepts both good and bad traits of their friends. The six of you have accepted Billy into your hearts as has he…but I sense there is some part of himself that he has yet to accept. Only when he does so can the true potential be unleashed."

"Is that what it is? I guess I don't have the luxury of waiting around then…"

At the harsh voice, Celestia tensed up and lowered into an offensive stance. By her reckoning, they still had around four hours left until Shining…Blackened Heart came back. Charging up her horn with all the magic she could muster, she bellowed a cry of rage and sorrow before unleashing a brilliant flare of light that banished all shadows around them. A cry of pain and anguish answered her and she squinted in the light to see the dark red form of Blackened Heart tumble out of a nearby shadowed area. Narrowing her eyes, Princess Luna charged her horn with magic as the other Rangers settled into attack stances as the light faded. Blackened Heart picked herself up off the ground and shook her head groggily. She hadn't meant to reveal her spying location so soon…but it was either that or hover around the Everfree Forest and see what the fleshman was up to with the five bipeds. Barking out a short laugh, she called upon the shadows around her and in her heart to transform herself into a serious fighting mode.

Standing up on her rear hooves, she jumped into the air as the shadowy energy solidified into a set of deep red armour with black streaks. The assembled ponies gasped in shock and surprise as a strange half-helmet fixed itself into place on Blackened Heart's head as the wraith shifted her weight to her hind legs. Allowing more of the shadows to penetrate her body, she slowly grew taller and more menacing as spikes of pure obsidian slid out of her front hooves. She was aware that she looked like her tormentor, Discord, but didn't care as her transformation had the required effect of freezing them into place.

"You should have known better to reveal that secret, Celestia. Then again…you were always loose with your tongue and lips. Remember the night before the move to Deinos Terra Firma? They said our relationship wouldn't last but we wouldn't accept it! That night, we fucked like nothing else mattered and nothing did matter for us. Two mares in love with each other…until you betrayed me and left me to die the very next day! You watched in perverted glee as Discord all but raped me in front of you…and I will kill y–Ah!"

Blinking as the bipedal form of Blackened Heart stumbled off balance, the Rangers rallied around the grief-stricken Princess while Luna softly nuzzled her neck in support. She didn't care what had happened in her sister's past and what other stallions or mares had quenched her desires but to bring them up in front of relatively innocent minds was…evil incarnate. She even doubted the Nightmare Moon would have stooped to such low levels of decency.

"Not on my watch."

Heads snapped up to look at the armour clad figure behind Blackened Heart, which they knew was Billy. He was clothed in a strange mix of his Morphin uniform and what looked like a breastplate adorned with a large six pointed star – the same as Twilight's Cutie Mark. The only difference was that at the end of each point was a small gem coloured with the colours of the six Elements of Harmony while the star itself was a deep midnight blue.

"It's time to bring back the Light."

TBC…

AN2: Next chapter…the Awakening of the Light within.


	76. Buried Within

AN: 1000 words on 8/4/12. To change the last chapter AN or not? Bah...Enjoy!

Chapter 76: Buried Within

She didn't know how long it had been.

Opening her eyes, she found herself surrounded by an oppressive darkness that seemed to radiate hatred and anger. She shook her head and allowed her white mane to settle on her light brown shoulders. Taking a step forward, she gasped in shock as her hooves seemed to strike at an invisible barrier that separated her from…well; from the outside world. Sinking down to the floor with a sigh, she flicked her tail in bewilderment as she attempted to gather her thoughts. The last coherent thought she remembered before sinking into darkness was the extreme warmth that had been generated by the blast of the combined Elements of Harmony.

Wrinkling her nose at the staleness in the air; she squinted through the darkness in an attempt to see what was going on. As her attempt ended in vain, she rolled onto her side and reflected on the events that had lead up to the elemental blast. It was either that or go mad trying to break down the barrier that had somehow been erected. She was in some sort of battle against the forces of…of…the name was on the tip of her brain and was just out of reach. Whoever it was had been brutal and had the power to control others with his words alone; the damage that had been done by him and his lieutenant had been terrifying as had been the methods used to control his followers. There was only one beacon of light for her during that period – the Monarch of Equestria and the pony she had willingly given her all to.

_Discord_

Blinking at the name, she nodded to herself. Yes, that had been his name and it was a name that still filled her with a trace of dread. As if responding to her revelation, the darkness around her lessened slightly and she could see vague images start to appear…but they made no sense whatsoever. The only bipeds that were in Equestria were the Ursas in the Everfree Forest, the Dragons of Draconis and Discord. Well, there were other bipeds such as the other animals and birds but they didn't really count as they were natural bipeds. Mulling over that thought, she restructured her answer and struck off the Ursas and the Dragons from the list as they were natural creatures as well. Unless some strange power had allowed apes to evolve further, she would have to keep an eye on the strange blue biped.

To her incredulity, the blue biped seemed to be attacking…her; but it wasn't really her as she knew who she was. She was waking up in some strange place and as far as she was aware, she wasn't being attacked by any strange blue creature. There were some noises in the background and she strained her ears to pick them up but, as was the case with the barrier, she made no progress. Averting her eyes from the strange images, she attempted to piece together her memory from what she could remember. After the physical and psychological torture of his servants, Discord chose to make her a member of his most valued inner circle…or as he called it for her to be his eyes. His lieutenant had crafted a special circlet for her to wear that recorded everything and could only be stopped or paused by removing it from the head.

She had been sent out of scouting missions in an attempt to find the overthrown Ruler but had managed to avoid giving away Celestia's location every time. Her friend and sometimes lover was sequestered in the Everfree Forest in an abandoned outpost and was counting on her to bring her news of Discord and his movements. Since the scouting missions sometimes took several days to complete, she would put a half-hearted attempt into achieving the objective but always manage to lose her target. Discord never gave these instances a moment's thought and usually commended her on her tenacity. Thankfully, he never 'rewarded' her with anything physical. She swore she could still hear the pained screams of those unlucky enough to be 'rewarded'.

"Leave here at once and go crying back to Zedd! You've lost!"

The voice echoed around her and made her head jerk up in surprise. There was a strange underlying tone in the speaker's voice…almost as if he or she was in a desperate battle to save friends or loved ones. And who was this Zedd that was mentioned? Was it a pony or a place or another strange biped? Whatever it was, she felt a strange connection with the speaker as she had used that same tone of voice a few moments before her world crashed to black. Of course, she hadn't really counted on Discord forcing her hold on him to weaken in…that…way. She guessed she should have felt anger at Discord…but it was almost as if the anger, weakness and humiliation in her had gone off somewhere.

"I will never lose! I will take back what is rightfully mine!"

She shivered at the second voice. It sounded so harsh, hateful and threatening…but held a strange sense of familiarity to her. Shaking her head, she knew she never had heard that voice before in all her years. As had been the case with her previous realisations, new information entered her mind from an outside source. Stretching out her feelings in an attempt to understand who or what the source was only left her with a feeling of immense kindness and a great love that brought tears to her eyes. Standing up on her golden hooves, she knew that she was stuck within somepony and couldn't get out under her own power alone. The thought of being in somepony was strangely terrifying as it implied that she would possibly starve to death if she didn't find a way out soon.

Walking to the edge of the barrier once more, she tested the solidity with one of her hooves. Much to her shock, the barrier broke apart at her touch and the darkness around her lifted completely; allowing her to see the images in all their glory. The blue biped was swinging at her with some strange stick that it wielded efficiently while a set of black claws swung up to meet the weapon as it slashed down. Spinning away from the image in fear, her eyes widened as she saw her lover behind her. Running towards her, she stopped in mute amazement as her mind registered the seven other ponies alongside her.

Six of them were ponies that exuded energies or magic that was extremely similar to the Elements of Harmony…except it seemed stronger somehow. They seemed to be cheering on somepony called 'Billy' and also seemed to be ready to leap into the battle at a moment's notice. Her heart wished they wouldn't as whatever force was around her seemed to be powerful enough to kill them outright. The other pony…no, _alicorn_; was none other than Princess Luna. There seemed to be no trace of evil around her and the way she stood next to her sister indicated that she hadn't been Nightmare Moon for a long while. She wondered what she had missed during her imprisonment.

**You will know soon enough.**

The voice echoed around her but unlike the second one, there was no hatred or malicious undertones that she could detect. Instead, it seemed that the voice was soothing and calm and almost seemed to promise that she would leave the Hellish prison she had found herself in. A shout of surprise behind her almost made her turn back; but she kept her eyes fixed firmly on the face of her lover – even when the expression changed into one of extreme terror. The voice spoke once more as a flash of golden light crept into her field of vision.

**Shining Light, it is time.**

TBC…

AN: Coming in later chapters: destruction, shock, betrayal and the debut of a new Zord.


	77. Accepting The Power

AN: And now things get REALLY interesting...

Chapter 77: Accepting the Power

It couldn't end like this.

The battle had been fierce and he had gotten the upper hand a few times but Blackened Heart's new form had knocked him for a loop with her quick slashes and wicked hooks. His Power Lance had been knocked out of his hands a few moves back and he had been fighting hand-to-hand since. The Sphere of Midnight had seriously upgraded his powers all right and he seriously liked the breastplate that had saved him from becoming skewered on at least five different occasions. Still, there seemed to be something just out of his reach…like a weapon or a power that he could have used to destroy the creature in front of him. He knew he couldn't…not without freeing the soul within.

It had come as an extreme shock when Zordon's infodump had informed him that the pony known as Shining Light was buried deep within Blackened Heart, but it made sense in a crazy sort of way. From what small amount of information Princess Celestia had told him, he knew that Shining Light had been part of the plan to storm Discord's Fortress and had been sealed with Discord. It wasn't any stretch of the imagination to think that the torture she had undergone would have been enough for her to retreat deep within herself as a self-contained spirit…or something along those lines. As the inherently good core had retreated into her body, there would be nothing to stop the gradual twisting and warping of the rest of the body into a being that craved darkness and suffering.

However, all this information was useless…considering the position he was in now. Massive patches on his uniform were smoking and his visor was dangerously close to shattering. The dark red bipedal pony was drawing her wickedly sharp claws back for what he knew would be the killing blow. After this; he would be very lucky to survive without another massive dose of magic from the Princesses…but if they were going to be fighting Blackened Heart...

"This is the end of the line for you, Ranger…"

He kept his eyes open as she began to swing towards his head; determined to keep his dignity to the very end. However, the sensation of claws shattering his visor and stabbing into his face never came. He blinked and looked around as a golden light swept over the field of battle. He wondered what could possibly be happening and noticed that Blackened Heart had seemingly frozen in mid-swing. He brought his hands up to the clasps on the sides of his helmet and unlatched them. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light, his mouth dropped open as two familiar figures walked through the light. They walked the same, acted the same and he was sure that they would talk the same…as they were the same being.

"Zordon? Is that you?"

"Indeed it is."

Both voices washed over him and he realised with a start that one of the two beings looked noticeably younger than the other. His heart sank as he realised that the younger Zordon probably had come from the dimension of the Ultra Rangers and that the Countdown had ended the same as in his home dimension. He hoped that his counterpart had been spared the sight of seeing his loved one gunned down in front of him…but seeing as his counterpart was involved with Delphine; he didn't see that happening. Acting on autopilot, he removed his Morpher from his belt and powered down. Scooping up the Sphere of Midnight from the central depression, he held it in front of him and sighed whimsically.

"So much for a powerful transformation."

"You have only begun to scratch the surface of what you can do. You need to accept that there wasn't anything –"

Billy whirled at the elder Zordon with anger flashing in his eyes.

"I did that already! I accepted there was nothing that you could have possibly done to bring Cestria back! If you could have, you would have brought her back like you did with Karone when Andros killed her! It's not your fault…you did all you could…"

He let the sentence trail off as he looked at the frozen forms of the other Rangers. There was still so much he wanted to do with his life and since he knew the Rangers were immortal like him, he had wanted to introduce them to so many concepts and ideas. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he realised that Blackened Heart would rampage over Equestria and possibly absorb Zedd into herself. If she did that, she would be able to access the vast repository of spells he was knowledgeable in and would probably break through the dimensional barriers into the other worlds. Sure, she would be stopped eventually, but Equestria would be a dead world and float in the void of dimensions endlessly.

"You must accept that there was nothing you could do for Cestria."

The words of the elder Zordon brought him up short. His mind flashed back to the death of Cestria and he knew there were still things he could have done to ensure that she didn't slip away from him. Thinking about the things eventually led him to the realisation that there was really nothing that he could have done. He couldn't have moved her as she had been fatally injured and the slightest movement would have possibly sent her into a quicker and more painful death. The same went for teleportation as it would have possibly resulted in even worse injuries that had already been sustained. All this time, he had been harbouring a great grudge against Zordon for not being able to save Cestria but his acceptance of it not being Zordon's fault had allowed him to turn his gaze inward.

He had prided himself as being the one his friends could turn to when they needed a quick solution to a problem. He was renowned on Aquitar as being a genius that had come up with many solutions and inventions that had made planetary defence quick and easy…but had come up short when Divatox had restarted the water pollution that the Hydro Contaminators had started. Of course, the Z-Wave had destroyed the contaminating agents and stopped the biological agents from multiplying but his reputation had – for a short time – been tainted. After the funeral for Cestria, the citizens of Aquitar had come to him accusingly and told him that there should have at least been something that he could have done to save the life of his beloved. He had left the planet soon after despite the pleas of the Aquitian Rangers.

His way of coping with his loss and the scorn directed at him on Aquitar had compounded his hatred of Zordon into something that had tainted every refuge that was available to him…except Inquiris. On the serene planet, he had met Divatox and had helped her seek the redemption Zordon's sacrifice could not give her. In turn, she had allowed him to come to terms with the loss of his wife and sow the seeds that were just beginning to bloom. Talking to Edward had even allowed him to make the most miniscule steps in accepting that there wasn't anything that he could have done…but he had blamed Zordon for everything and hadn't placed much thought into what Edward had said.

"I…I…could have done something."

"No you could not."

The younger Zordon hung back and watched the scene before him unfold with great interest. He knew that the elder version of himself had managed to make some degree of headway regarding the older version of Billy, but he didn't know how it was possible. Feeling the slightest twinge in the dimension he had left behind, the younger Zordon tweaked the remaining strings to the Ultra Grid he had available to ensure that the new armour mode was ready for use in the next battle. Billy erupted into strangled sobs as the knowledge that he had done all he could was finally made clear to him. He cried for the anger he had held at his mentor for so long and mourned the time wasted on a meaningless grudge. Although he couldn't see it; his Morpher started changing in a reaction to his acceptance. The faceplate's colourisation changed into a solid midnight blue that was rimmed with gold. The streaks of orange that were on the Morpher shifted to the barest hints that lined the central depression.

As the heart of the Blue Ranger finally accepted Cestria's death and everything that had surrounded it, the Sphere of Midnight began to glow softly as it interfaced with a strange set of parameters that had been encoded by an outside source. Deep within the Harmony Morphin Grid, new weapons and tools began to come into being as they were crafted instantaneously by an unknown source. Below them, although everything was still frozen in time, the tarp-covered hulk's systems began to switch on and configure themselves to fit the new Power Source that had connected itself. Billy looked down at the brightly glowing Sphere of Midnight in his hands and felt a warm glow come off it…almost like an Element of Harmony.

"Yes, that is correct. The Sphere of Midnight is the lost Element of Acceptance and will truly allow you to achieve a wondrous transformation. It will also allow you to access powerful weapons beyond your wildest imaginations."

Billy admired the Sphere of Midnight and picked up his discarded Morpher. Drying his eyes, he looked at the two spirits in front of him and nodded once. He knew that Zordon would always be with him and continue to guide all his Rangers from within the Morphin Grid. Inserting the sphere into his Morpher, he straightened his back and thrust out the device – activating its true power. He inhaled deeply and shouted out four words that cemented his place in the Equestrian Rangers.

"It's Morphin' Time! **_Acceptance_**!"

TBC…


	78. Midnight

AN: Well, time to see what the 'new' Ranger can do!

Chapter 78: Midnight

Time returned to normal…and everything went to Hell.

Blackened Heart's claws ripped through the area where her opponent's head had been, only for him to have mysteriously vanished. She heard the gasps of shock and surprise from the other pathetic ponies behind her and looked around wildly for where the Ranger had escaped to. She would find him and snuff out his life as easily as she had blocked the fleshman's cave. After all, she had seen to it that his suit of armour or whatever it was would be unable to continue with a prolonged fight. A few more seconds against her and the Ranger would be no more than a smear on the ground.

"Time to get serious."

Blinking at the low voice behind her, she whirled around just in time to see a fist powering through the air. She flew back as the blow connected on her snout and she felt three of her teeth break under the massive impact. Picking herself up off the ground, she gaped at the Ranger in front of her. Somehow during the last few seconds, he had transformed his costume into something extremely terrifying. The power that the figure exuded was much more potent than it had been before and she knew that the full powers of the Element had been awakened. The lights that had been constantly flickering since her arrival suddenly flared to life and she heard the other ponies inhale sharply as the Ranger was revealed in all his glory.

The first thing she saw was the helmet. Instead of the rather simplistic reptilian design she had seen seconds before; it was now styled in a frighteningly realistic wolf's head with its open mouth as a full face visor. Its 'eyes' seemed to bore into her very soul and see her inner secrets…and stir something that was buried within her. His chest and torso was covered with an upgraded form of his previous armour: the star was still in the same place, but the boxes at each of the points were gone. Now, there were diamonds of colour at each point and a smaller star in the centre was a brilliant gold. The colour of his costume was a deep midnight blue that bordered on black in some parts and mirrored Luna's fur perfectly. Gold rimmed cuffs on his gloves gave way to strange fang-shaped decorations that were coloured in the same shade of blue as the other Blue Ranger and his stark white gloves were dotted with red in a way that made her think of blood spatter.

The same red spatter was on his boots as well but the design on the cuffs was different. Now they were silver bands that were set with three small jewels in different shapes. Quickly looking to the other Rangers' flanks, she noted with a start that the jewels were in the shape of their Cutie Marks. From what she could see, the symbols on his left leg correlated to the Green, Blue and Yellow Rangers while the other symbols were of the Purple, Red and Pink Rangers. Short staves hung on either sides of his white belt and, if she squinted hard enough, she could see small bolts of blue-black energy running over his arms and legs. The Ranger settled into an offensive stance and proclaimed his identity.

"Ranger Reborn! Midnight Blue Acceptance Ranger – Ready!"

As the Rangers erupted into wild cheers, Billy flexed his arms as he stared at Blackened Heart through his visor. Messages flashed up on his visor informing him of the deeper capabilities of his new suit and the infodump in his brain overwrote the information he had on his old Morphin Powers. The amount of raw energy flowing through is body was immensely overpowering, but he knew he had to ride the torrent for as long as it took for his body to adjust to the power. He wondered if this was what being an Ultra Ranger was like and he vowed to ask Weihan the first chance he had…well, whenever he fixed the Dimensional Doorway. Coming out of his stance, his eyes flicked over the menus and selected something that was familiar but different at the same time.

"Element Blade Blaster!"

At his command, a cloud of energy settled over his left glove for the smallest of seconds before forming into his Element Blade Blaster. It seemed very similar to the gauntlet blasters that the Ultra Rangers had and he wondered exactly what Weihan had coded into his Morpher all those weeks ago. Despite looking like a rather bulky item, it fit his fist perfectly with his thumb resting on what he assumed was the trigger. On the top was a white diamond with the image of his Triceratops Power Coin on it with a strange corrugated gold band below the small laser turrets. Curiously, there were no blade emitters visible which left his curious at why the blaster was still called a Blade Blaster. Flipping back to avoid a rather sloppy slash from Blackened Heart's claws, he brought up the blaster and snapped off four shots. The midnight blue blasts impacted against the shadow being's chest and ate through the armour over it.

Rushing forward to take advantage of her weakness, he feinted a right jab and brought up his left leg to deliver a crushing roundhouse that sent the shadowy being crashing through the outer wall…and into Canterlot below. At her fall, the maelstrom whirling outside dissipated instantly and sun streamed through the holes in the walls. Flashing a quick look behind him, he ran at the wall and dived through one of the holes. Dismissing his Blade Blaster with a small eye-roll at the rather ironic name, his hands dropped to the small staves on his belt. Pulling them out of their holding loops, he barely blinked as a light blue light covered them to reveal his new weapon. Ornately jewelled staves ended in three wickedly sharp blades and he grinned as the confirmation message flashed up on his visor.

[Acceptance Lance ready]

Connecting both staves together, he whirled the Lance over his head as his feet impacted against the ground. Swinging his Lance around, he slammed it against Blackened Heart's side as energy began to crackle over both sets of blades. Thunder rumbled overhead from rapidly gathering clouds that weren't summoned by the monster in front of him and he grinned to himself as he remembered the attack he had used to destroy the first shadowy creature. Keeping the monster on the defensive, he split apart his Acceptance Lance and delivered blow after crushing blow on the monster in front of him. From what Zordon's infodump had told him, he needed to strike Blackened Heart with an immensely powerful attack for him to have any chance of rescuing Shining Light. If he messed up the timing even by the barest fraction of a second, she would be destroyed along with Blackened Heart.

"Blue Crash!"

As the Ranger lifted the lightning infused weapon into the air, Blackened Heart summoned her final Shadow Guard from his resting place. The attacks of the Ranger had damaged or destroyed most of her armour and she needed an extra boost to her power. As the Lance came down, she absorbed the Shadow Guard into herself and felt the Lance bounce off a strange shadowy shield that had come from within her. As the Ranger reeled in confusion and shock, she chuckled darkly.

Now, she would crush him.

TBC…


	79. Tricera

Chapter 79: Tricera

This wasn't good.

Whatever that shield was, it had repelled the energy of the Blue Crash. While he could still use the Acceptance Lance to fight, its power would be severely diminished and would need at least a few minutes to recharge. Dismissing his Lance in a weak flash of light, he summoned his Blade Blaster gauntlet and waited for Blackened Heart to make the next move.

"Weak Ranger, I know what you plan to do and it will never work at your current strength. She will be connected to me to the very end!"

Billy seethed under his helmet. For his intent to rescue Shining Light to be revealed so quickly was…actually, it was rather obvious that was what he was gunning for. Firing a few shots at the powered up monster, he swallowed hard as the energy bolts that had previously eaten through the armour were absorbed by the energy shield. Activating the scanners in the helmet, he attempted to find either a weak point in the barrier or the point of emergence. If he only had a weapon that could smash through the shield, he would be able to put that plan into action. Diving behind a pile of debris that had fallen from the Command Tower, he ran his right hand over the Power Coin on top of the Element Blade Blaster and wondered where the Blade portion was.

[Activating Blades]

Blinking at the message, he withdrew his right hand just in time to see two energy blades slide out of barely-visible emitters on the sides of the Blaster. The blades were about ten inches in length and pulsed with a light blue energy. If he squinted hard enough, he was sure he could see a thin orange core in the centre of each blade and he rolled his eyes. Leaping out of his barricade, he rolled on the ground just as the debris pile exploded in a massive fireball that sent even the bravest pony running in terror. Flipping up and over the shadowy monster, the Midnight Blue Ranger brought the blades up and around and pierced the energy shield. Forcing his arm through the shield, he felt it becoming numbed but forced himself to follow through with the attack.

"Tricera Smash!"

The energy blades sunk into Blackened Heart's shoulder and she screamed in pain as thick black blood seeped out of the punctures. Clenching her teeth together, she grabbed the fist of the Ranger and pushed as hard as she could to force the blades out of her body. She watched the Ranger fall backwards as she doubled the amount of power into her shield. She could feel _her_ stirring deep within and knew she was almost fully awake. If she was able to escape her prison there would be no doubt that she would assist the traitor…and that was something that had to be avoided at any cost. Drawing in a deep breath, she screamed directly at the Ranger and noted, with some interest, that a large energy blast was generated from her mouth. The blast struck the ground in front of the Ranger and threw up a large cloud of dust and dirt, but she was undeterred. She blasted the area around her without mercy and barely stopped to listen to the beautiful symphony of destruction around her.

Pausing in her destructive rampage, Blackened Heart looked around at the billowing dust clouds and smirked. Dropping her power to her shields by the tiniest fraction, she placed her hooves on her hips and smirked. So, the new Ranger was too scared to fight her and had most likely fled from her wrath. He would have gathered up the other Rangers and probably both Princesses…but they had nowhere to go. She was aware of their hiding spots and could reach them through her shadow travel. Even if they attempted to lose her in the caves of Draconis, she knew that they would meet their end eventually.

"Horn Crush!"

A blue energy drill burst from within a storm of dust and drilled into the energy shield; causing her to whirl and shriek in alarm. Billy poured as much energy as he dared into the attack and noted that the shield was weakening slowly. The only problem was that his Element Blade Blaster was heating up extremely rapidly, thanks to the amount of raw Element energy flowing through it. Breaking off the horn-themed attack with a frustrated sigh, he scrolled through the list of available weapons and weighed the pros and cons. Firing off blasts in rapid succession to keep Blackened Heart disorientated and off-guard, he noticed that there was one weapon that hadn't been in the menu before.

The wire frame image made it look like a large blaster of some sort and he could almost see the resemblance to the Raptor Cannon…but that was impossible. Even if Weihan had somehow managed to include a similarly themed weapon into his arsenal, it could only be used if there was a massive amount of Ultra Energy…unless…but that was highly unlikely. He knew his shots would only make Blackened Heart stronger and he really had no other option unless he wanted Shining Light to be lost forever. Dismissing the Element Blade Blaster, he inhaled sharply and hoped he was making the correct decision.

"Tricera Cannon!"

A bright flash of light and a sudden weight in his hands made a large smile break over his face. Looking down at his new weapon, he breathed in amazement as his eyes travelled around the heavily stylised details. It was shaped like a Triceratops – albeit one with an extremely large neck frill – and three silver barrels protruded from where its horns would have been. Wrapping his right hand around the rear grip, his index finger slid over the trigger button and hit thumb hit a hidden switch; allowing a front grip to unfold from the 'neck' of the blaster. Shifting the weapon in his arms, he pointed it at the shadowy monster in front of him and fired off a test shot. The recoil almost knocked him off his feet, but he forced himself not to move and watched the cerulean lasers impact against Blackened Heart's shield.

His eyes widened – along with hers – as the lasers _punched_ through the strong shield and exploded against her bare fur with terrifying force. She screamed as her body was set alight and rolled on the ground in an attempt to stop the burning. Only when she calmed down slightly did she remember that her horn wasn't really there for much decoration. Forcing the shadowy energy through the bony spire, she covered the flames with suffocating carbon dioxide until they were nothing but mere embers.

"You dare to hurt me? For that, you will watch as I gut your friends in front of you!"

As the words left her mouth, she knew she had said the wrong thing. The Midnight Blue Ranger's shoulders heaved slowly as his stance shifted to place the majority of his weight onto his right leg, which was shifted slightly behind him. Three pinpricks of light inside the barrels slowly grew larger and she knew that her first life was coming to an end. Blackened Heart swallowed hard as she reached within herself and severed the final bond that connected her to Shining Light. Even through she had threatened otherwise, her 'sister' didn't deserve her fate.

**Sister? What are you doing?**

_**This is for the best. I set you free**_

**You will always be with me.**

_**And wherever it is that I am to go; a part of you will come with me.**_

"Comet Smash!"

Billy released the trigger button as three thick beams of bright blue energy lanced through the still air in front of him and pierced Blackened Heart's shield. The energy continued to break through every other shield the shadowy being threw up in desperation; never once losing its momentum or power. Temporarily blinded by the dazzling light, Billy didn't notice the golden ball of light that split from Blackened Heart's body a fraction of a second before her final shield was destroyed. As his vision cleared, he looked on impassively as the three beams skewered her in a similar fashion as she had done to him.

At last, the energy barrage ended and the shadowy being slumped to the ground in defeat; small bolts of electricity dancing over her body as the explosive energy consumed her from within. Billy never took her eyes off his opponent as a final gesture of respect and lifted his Tricera Cannon up in a salute to a fallen warrior. Blackened Heart closed her eyes slowly and sighed as she felt her special energy activate within her.

Now things would get _really_ interesting…

TBC…


	80. Wolf's Howl

AN: The debut of another addition…

Chapter 80: Wolf's Howl

Whenever it rained, it most certainly poured.

Billy shook his head as the giant Blackened Heart rampaged above him. He certainly had expected a large explosion to signal the end of the monster and the completion of the Prophecy…but he guessed he should have expected this. What he hadn't expected was the teleportation spell of the Princesses activating the very moment Blackened Heart began to grow; depositing the shadowy being in the depths of the Everfree Forest. He was aware of the Rangers gathering behind him as he attempted to work out his next move.

"Should we summon the Zords?"

Billy shook his head as his mind ran through all the possible situations. The Harmonyzords would certainly have the advantage over the monster for a short while but would eventually be forced into a tug-of-war for victory. Even Warriorzord and Megazord combinations on the fly would be disadvantageous to the Rangers during those precious seconds. He reached out with his powers in an attempt to find out what Zord was connected to the Midnight Sphere – if any. Raising the Tricera Cannon, he calculated the distance and power that would be needed if he were to be able to destroy it. Theoretically it was possible except the amount of power needed would more than likely level Canterlot and the surrounding areas.

"Please…help me…"

Heads whipped around as the soft voice washed over them. Princess Celestia narrowed her eyes as the voice was strangely familiar to her and dredged up the very same memories Blackened Heart possessed. Shining Light was inside Blackened Heart and the vile fiend would not so easily give up her inner prize. Trotting to a strangely shaped mound of rubble, she kicked away a few stones at the top and inhaled sharply. The Rangers raced to her side and their eyes widened as they saw an unfamiliar light brown Earth pony with a pure white mane. As the Princess moved more stones aside, more of the pony was revealed including the bright yellow hooves of Blackened Heart. The Rangers summoned their morphers on instinct and assembled themselves into the pre-morph position.

"She's not Blackened Heart."

At Billy's soft words, they stopped short and looked at the human curiously. The stance of the Midnight Blue Ranger seemed to convey delight about something but they weren't sure what it could possibly be. Cautiously leaning forward, Applejack studied the form of the pony as it relaxed slightly. Shaking her head in response to Celestia's unanswered question, the Red Ranger carefully cleared the rest of the debris away from the limp form and exhaled slowly.

"She's fine. Just took a few nasty bumps an' with a bit of rest, she'll be as right as rain in no time. We'll get her to the Tower. You concentrate on the creature."

Nodding once, Billy turned his back on the Rangers and inhaled deeply. All of his hard work would finally be revealed and its debut would be magnificent indeed. As his arms moved to form a stance that he hadn't used in far too long, he bellowed out the words that formed in his mind.

"Wolf Shogunzord Power!"

An eerie howl echoed over the land as the bright sky darkened to near black. An image of a full moon appeared in the sky with a shadowed wolf's head over it. The light reflecting off the moon seemed to bounce off its hard edges and those who dared to peek at the image above them wondered why a wolf – of all animals – would have hard edges and lines. As quickly as it had appeared, the moon vanished and plunged the world into blackness. Heavy foot falls could be heard in the shadows as something approached rapidly and a low growl that promised visions of death and destruction washed over the Rangers. Two spots of light flared into existence and shone their dazzling beams at Blackened Heart; who shrunk away from the blinding light. Winking out of existence, the land was dark once more and Twilight wondered what would happen next.

The answer came as sunlight flooded the battlefield once more and caused all ponies to blink rapidly as their eyes attempted to adjust to the sudden light. Rubbing a hoof across her eyes, Twilight's jaw dropped open as she caught sight of the massive battle machine in front of her. It was shaped like a wolf but all similarities ended there. Its body was impossibly sleek but there was a hint of some strange mass behind the metallic blue armour that covered its body. Its tail was a single crescent shaped blade with a jagged edge that made her think of the blade Pinkie had turned her tail into in their first battle. Taking a step towards the massive machine, she fell back in fear as it threw its head back and a mournful howl erupted from its metallic throat.

Billy's eyes moistened as he looked at the Zord he had built from the leftover parts from the Ninja Storm Zords. This would be its first test and he hoped all the systems were working properly. Dropping both hands to his belt, he withdrew the staves hanging there one more time but didn't activate the transformation for the Acceptance Lance. Instead, he crouched low and leapt forward as the line-of-sight teleportation system brought him into the cockpit. Settling himself in the seat, he checked all the systems to see what he had to work with. Two slots opened up in front of him and he slid both staves in; eyes widening in wonder as they transformed into control sticks that were studded with a few activation buttons. Removing the Midnight Sphere from his Morpher, he placed it in a small hole that opened up on his right side and felt its power give life to the formerly dormant Zord. ther was just one thing left to do before the battle truly began.

"Wolf Shogunzord! Let the battle commence!"

TBC…


	81. Inside The Wolf

Chapter 81: Inside the Wolf

Blows were traded as the two titans battled for supremacy.

The Rangers could only watch from the relative safety of the Command Tower as the battle to complete the Prophecy raged on. The Wolf Shogunzord was extremely agile and was able to leap out of the way of devastatingly powerful blasts from Blackened Heart. It wasn't any slouch in its attacks either, as mini-missiles, lasers and blasts of seemingly freezing energy were wielded with expert ability and skill. While the Rangers watched in awe, Celestia hovered over the form of her old friend. Although Shining Light still had a physical body; she was starting to show the effects of being locked away for centuries and her body was beginning to fail her. As it was, Luna had managed to find a working stasis field generator in the wreckage of Blackened Heart's attacks and had encased the unconscious filly inside it until her body could be readjusted. Right now, the only one who could do such a thing was currently in battle with the shadow that had encased Shining Light.

"Cryo Lasers!"

Thick bursts of icy energy shot from the mouth of the Wolfzord and impacted against the chest of the monster; hardening instantly to form sheets of dry ice around what little armour still remained. Leaping at the monster, the Wolfzord slammed its jagged tail into the sheets of ice to shatter them…and remove the remainder of its armour as well. Now, Blackened Heart would be more vulnerable to his more powerful attacks. Pulling back the control sticks, Billy made the Zord leap up and slash at the pony monster's face with the claws on the front legs. The metallic weapons slashed deep into its face and carved deep gouges that soon welled with thick blood. Activating the side jets to stay in the air for a short while longer, the Wolfzord opened its mouth and dove at the area where the jugular would be.

It had either been nostalgia or the strong link to his Ninjetti Coin that had made him design the Zord in the shape of a wolf. Any other animal would have fit the bill as well, but it would have felt slightly strange to be inside an unfamiliar Zord. The thought made him snort and shake his head as the Zord landed on the ground and braced itself. Pulling back the two main triggers on the control sticks, a barrage of energy blasts erupted from the rows of hidden turrets on the back of the Zord. The torrent exploded against Blackened Heart and sent the creature tumbling to the ground; which caused the ground to quake violently. Checking the scanners for any seismic shifts, he smiled softly as he came to the realisation that Equestria wouldn't be torn apart in the near future by any form of activity stirred up by the Zords.

As the Zord readied itself for another charge, Billy reflected on the design and building process. It had been designed and the outer frame had been completed around the time that the Harmonyzords had been finalised. On a whim, he had installed connectors within the structure of each of the Harmonyzords – even Spike's Dragon Jet – so a future link-up could be possible. Luna had asked him why he had done what he did…and wasn't really satisfied with the long and rambling answer he had given her. However, it had pushed the issue out of her mind for the time being. He supposed he could have used the Samurai Star Chopper and given it a new paintjob and a complete weapon overhaul but the thought of using a hand-me-down Zord seemed slightly…off to him. Plus, he had used the majority of its internals on the Dragon Jet with whatever bits and pieces the Sensei's at the Ninja Academies had chucked in the wreckage.

He had also designed a new transformation system for his Zord and it could morph into a new form. He still needed to work the kinks out of the system and was on the process of doing just that when the first attack on Ponyville had happened. Then his Power Coin had been destroyed and working on a Zord that could never be…just fell to the wayside. His answer to Applejack had been correct at the time; it was to be backup for the Rangers but he was still toying with the idea of piloting it. The arrival of the Ultra Rangers had been a great boon for him as he could pick the brains of them for ideas and angles that he hadn't considered. A rather offhand comment by the Orange Ranger had led to the design and installation of the cryogenic beam in the mouth of the Zord as well as the jagged look to the tail.

Flicking a series of switched on his left, he felt the Zord around him tremble slightly as the backup generators whirred to life. The Zord would have been powered by a direct link to his Power Coin or his Morpher and had been remodelled to work off the dregs of Ultra Power that could be siphoned. Weihan had shown him that even the smallest amount of Ultra Energy could run the Zord for a fifteen minute battle without any significant drain of the internal capacitors in the Morpher. However, by inserting the Sphere of Midnight into the slot earlier, the small Element of Harmony was powering the entire Zord. Based on what he could see, the power levels were still strong and there was only a point three drop in power generation. Then again, this was the Zord Invincibility in full effect and he had no doubt that the next battle would be considerably harder. On the other hand, he still had something up his sleeve.

The Wolf charged at Blackened Heart and dug its teeth into its unprotected flesh. Jerking its head back, it ripped a large chunk of muscle from it and flung the discarded matter away. Wherever it went to, Billy would have to send out a few drones to clean that area up or more animals would be infected with Blackened Heart's hatred. Baring its bloodstained teeth at the monster, Billy inhaled deeply and initiated the finisher.

"Wolf Howl!"

Positioning itself so there was a clear line-of-sight between him and the monster; he pressed the buttons on the side of the control sticks that would allow the anchor points to drop. Hearing a set of muffled clangs, he switched all available power to the cryogenic sonic emitter and waited for the charging to complete. Combining the cryogenic ray with a sonic emitter had been very difficult work but he had managed it during the quiet times when Zedd hadn't attacked. Cross-dimensional assistance was also a help as the Zordon from the Ultra Rangers' dimension was very well versed in combining different weapon systems. Billy hoped that the younger Zordon would be at peace now.

A wave of energy impacted against Blackened Heart and froze her in place. Trying hard to move, she soon realised she was frozen as her heart had been to the truth. The attacks of the mechanical wolf and the Ranger inside had broken her petty doubts about herself and she felt her heart becoming light and starting to feel the warmth of love and truth for the first time in…centuries. She wondered when the change had started but she already knew that it had begun when she had allowed Shining Light to escape her fate. Celestia would help her but the truth of it was; Shining Light was a physical ghost and it was only a matter of time before she returned to an energy state. The sky darkened and she closed her eyes as a low howl echoed around her.

Opening them, she faced her fate head on. A brilliant beam of dark blue energy erupted from the mouth of the Wolfzord and impacted against her. She felt the freezing energy bite into her flesh and chill her to her core. The energy increased in its intensity and she felt her consciousness slip away as her life-force was extinguished. The body of Blackened Heart fell to the ground and exploded in a mighty fireball that temporarily everypony around.

The Prophecy had finally been completed.

TBC…


	82. Light to the Past

AN: Backstory time! And (with everything); history of the Changelings has changed. For the voice of Shining Light, I hear her voice as Jamie Marchi.

Chapter 82: Light to the Past

Her nose twitched as she awoke.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at the ceiling above her. There were cracks and chips in the ornate decorations above her and there was a strange sound in the air. Curiously, it sounded like one of the blacksmiths at work but it was more…mechanical. There was also a strange crackling around her and she looked down to see what she was lying on. It was a light blue platform of some kind, but instead of feeling hard and unyielding; this felt soft and comforting. Cautiously, she tested her limbs and found not an iota of pain in them…but where was the shadow that had been so present around her? Rubbing her eyes slowly, she looked to the corners of the room she was in and tried to make out the ever-present wisps that had been with her until…until what? She had a feeling it was important but her mind was blank.

A soft movement near her left hind leg caused her to look down and notice what she hadn't seen before. Head resting on the bed and looking as undignified as possible was a friend she had not seen in a very long time. Her alabaster white fur contrasted slightly with the quad-coloured mane that always seemed to blow in an unfelt breeze. A thin line of drool trickled from her slightly open mouth and her Royal armour seemed to have slight scorch marks on the normally polished surface. A small smile fluttered over her lips as she ducked her head and lightly kissed the very tip of the alicorn's horn; delighting in the magical shudder that coursed through her body. As if responding to the feather-light sensation; the alicorn slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing her upright form…promptly fell over in shock.

"Princess Celestia, is everything all right in there?"

Nodding numbly, her mind went blank as she stared at the light brown Earth Pony in front of her. Shining Light had spent the past three days since the destruction of Blackened Heart in a deep coma and no one was able to rouse her from it. Billy had hypothesised that she would eventually come out of it on her own but it could be from anywhere from two weeks to two months. Celestia had taken some time away from her Royal Duties on the pretense of a tour of the monster-ravaged areas; in reality, she had been at the bedside of Shining Light and had only left her side to eat, sleep and to hold something in place for Billy to fix.

"Celestia? Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."

As the melodious voice washed over her ears, she sighed in contentment before snapping back to the present. Jerking her head up from the floor, she hastily attempted to compose herself in front of a lost friend. Unfortunately, the sudden movement, coupled with the tiredness and aching in her limbs caused her to collapse to the ground once more…with much more noise this time.

"Princess, are you all – oh. She's awake?"

Looking up at the unfamiliar voice, Shining Light's eyes widened in fear and alarm as she saw a hairless ape in the doorway holding something that looked like a weapon. The biped was clothed in strange dark blue top and light bottoms that seemed to be made of a rough fabric. Blue-rimmed glasses were perched on its face and the hair that grew from its head was a sandy brown…almost like the colour of her coat. The biped seemed to shift uneasily for a split second before toppling forward into the room as two ponies pushed it over from behind. The first was a purple unicorn with a three-toned mane and sparkling violet eyes. She seemed to have an aura of incredible magic around her and Shining Light could see flashes of battle experience in her eyes. The second was a light orange Earth Pony with a long blonde mane that was tied up with red ribbon. Her brilliant green eyes radiated honesty and an inner stubbornness that made her smile.

"Well Ah'll be! Shinin' Light is awake jus' like you said! Billy…uh, y'all all right?"

Billy frowned as much as he was able to as Applejack and Twilight stood on his back. He sincerely hoped nothing had been broken but he doubted it; the Acceptance Powers had strengthened his body and bones considerably. Then again, it was one thing to walk into a room…and another thing to be used as a literal doormat. As the two Rangers hopped off his body, he rose to his feet and dusted himself off. Crouching down in front of the terrified pony, he ran a critical eye over her trembling form and reached out his hand to stroke her mane in the same way as he had seen Weihan do multiple times in the past. Immediately, the light brown pony stopped trembling and started to relax as he placed the dimensional tuner in his pocket – unwittingly activating the self-repair function. He opened his mouth and spoke directly to the Earth Pony; making sure his voice was as soft as he could while still being audible.

"Well, it looks like you're out of the woods. What's the last thing you remember?"

Shining Light furrowed her brow as she thought. The last thing she remembered with any clarity was being in the shadowed area and seeing a strange biped attacking her…but it wasn't really her. Then she was falling down from a great height and after another short battle with the same biped, she had felt something tethering her to the void being cut. The next thing she knew, she was buried beneath a pile of rubble…which had also been the first sensation she had felt in centuries and she had weakly called out for help before her body had given out. She wouldn't tell him that her body was strangely feeling light and there were tingles running over her skin that his stroking didn't cause. She knew the reason for these anyway…or at least her 'other self' had informed her.

The time spent inside the shadowy pony had slowly transformed her from a being of energy to a physical manifestation of the pony she had once been. However, the separation from Blackened Heart had somehow triggered the slow reversal of that process. Eventually, she would revert back to a being of pure energy that was free to roam wherever she chose. She would tell Celestia this but she had a strong feeling the Princess already knew. As she repeated her earlier thoughts to the 'Billy' in front of her, she began to wonder exactly what his connection with the rest of them was. If he were an enemy, Celestia would be on him within an instant…but she seemed to treat him as a friend or a valued ally.

"Well, it definitely seems as you awoke during the second battle and Blackened Heart seems to have ejected you from her body on instinct. The separation doesn't seem to have done any permanent damage and it seems the rest allowed your body to adjust to the world once more. I'll leave you to catch up with the Princess and the Rangers."

Stepping away from the bed, the mysterious biped vanished through the door; leaving her with her old friend and the two ponies that had been called 'Rangers'. Curiously, the name rung a bell within her and she wondered what it was about the word that was so familiar. Her friend lightly cleared her throat and lowered her head.

"Do you remember Deinos Terra Firma and the Sealing spell?"

Shining Light nodded slowly. Nothing could have erased that moment from her mind – the pain from the wound in her side, the frustration at the death around her and the humiliation felt when Discord…she closed her eyes at the last memory and swallowed hard. What had been done to her had only been the beginning of several weeks of venting his frustrations as he raged at the world. Her body had been violated many times and the force never seemed to fade until she had retreated deep within herself to save the last shreds of her innocence. That was when the hatred and pettiness in her heart had taken control and had dragged her dying body deep within the walls of the Fortress.

"I remember everything; including the blast of warmth from the Elements. After that…nothing until what I told Billy. What happened during that time and who are these ponies you surround yourself with?"

Twilight and Applejack looked at the Princess, but seemed to be uncomfortable with staying. The Red Ranger made to leave, but was stopped by a raised hoof from Celestia. Removing the golden crown from her head, Celestia inhaled slowly and closed her eyes; the memories washing over her like a torrent.

"It wasn't until after the spell that I knew you couldn't have escaped. During the casting, I was so sure that you could slip off Discord and hide in one of the safe zones you knew about…but it was too late and the Tomb was sealed."

Flashback

"_Where…Shining Light! Where are you!"_

_Her anguished eyes roved around the barren ground as the remnants of her army slowly picked themselves up and regrouped. In front of her was a large wall that stretched as high as Discord's Palace was and seemed to be as wide as the Fortress itself. Lying by her hooves were the Elements of Harmony – now in their rocklike states. A part of her mourned at the loss of such immense power but she knew that the real physical manifestations would come into being when they were needed. A sound on her left made her turn to see the Queen of the Changelings and her young daughter trot up beside her and stare at the imposing structure before her. Celestia had reluctantly agreed for the Changeling army to accompany them but hadn't expected to strike up a friendship with their Queen. Even the young Princess Chrysalis seemed to have considerably warmed up to the alicorn ruler._

"_Celestia…are you all right? Where is Shining Light?"_

_The Princess shook her head sadly as the first tears slipped from her eyes. Bowing her head in sorrow, Queen Metamorph inhaled the scent of the dying with hidden glee. Feeding off the love the dying had would fulfil their hunger for eons…but it wouldn't be worth trying to feed off Celestia's love for Shining Light. Even the Changeling Queen could see that there were some lines that just weren't meant to be crossed. Sighing heavily, she glanced at the Princess and nodded to herself. Treaties between their lands had to be drawn up…but they could wait as long as it took for the alicorn to mourn the loss._

"_This should be a joyous occasion. Discord has been sealed and peace reigns…but Shining Light sacrificed herself to save all of us. Queen Metamorph, I thank you for your support and friendship."_

"_Not at all, Celestia. We will always be here if you need us."_

_End Flashback_

"After that, we retuned to Equestria and held a thirty day period of mourning. The treaty for the Changelings was drawn up and I remained in close communication with the Queen until her death and also with Chrysalis until Discord was freed by Zedd. I sent her a short message before all of this began, but she hasn't replied yet. I hope everything is all right."

Shining Light's mind was whirling. Who was this 'Zedd' character and why had he freed the Scourge of Equestria? Why were the strange ponies and the biped hanging around in what she assumed was the Tower of Canterlot? And why did she have the feeling that she had something extremely important to tell them about the mysterious Zedd? Opening her mouth, she began to speak but was cut off by Celestia raising her front hoof. She motioned to the two ponies next to her and smiled warmly.

"As for who these ponies are…well, why don't you show her?"

Two nods followed and Shining Light's mouth fell open as they apparently burst into geysers of energy. After a few short moments, the two ponies had been replaced with what she could only begin to describe as super-guards: one in purple and the other in red. Around the neck of the Red one was a gleaming golden necklace with a red gem shaped like an apple and one the head of the Purple one was unmistakeably the Element of Magic…but that was impossible. Common ponies weren't allowed to wear the Elements of Harmony as mere decorations of armour…

"They are the Power Rangers."

TBC…


	83. Red Battle

AN: Originally, the person was going to be Edward and he would play a pivotal role in [Censored for now]. Then I couldn't really think of a good way to do it and that was substituted with a Ranger. And this happens after Equestria 101 - Legacy of Power. You might be a tad confused if you don't read that one first.

Chapter 83: Red Battle

"What are you doing here?"

Billy's eyes widened as he looked at the figure in the doorway. He rubbed his eyes hard and squinted in the light; almost as if he didn't believe the information in front of him. The older man nodded once and ran a hand through his short black hair before blinking at the sight in front of him. Walking slowly towards him, Billy hesitantly raised his left arm and poked the shoulder of the man. Feeling solid muscle in front of him, he threw his arms around the man in front of him as the tears started flowing. Memories of the past bubbled up into the forefront of his mind as he clung tightly to a person that – by all rights and reasons – shouldn't be in front of him. He should have been in another dimension with the others and enjoying his retirement from all the strange and crazy things Rangers were attracted to…but the more he wanted to deny it, the more he couldn't believe it.

Jason Scott was in front of him.

For his part, the former Red Ranger took the fact that a friend he hadn't seen in decades was keeping a death grip on him in relative stride. Even the sight of the brightly coloured ponies in front of him didn't even make him blink once as he had seen stranger things in his…darker moments. Looking down at Billy, he glanced back to where he had come from and at the portal that snapped shut with a wink of light. Reluctantly untangling himself from Billy's massive hug, he stepped back and gestured to the area around him.

"What is all this? Where am I? I was walking along the street when a wind picked up and sucked me into a portal. Next thing I know, I'm surrounded by damaged or destroyed machinery and I heard your voice explaining what a Power Ranger is. What's going on, bro?"

Billy took off his glasses and attempted to compose himself. There was sure to be a rational explanation of why Jason was standing in front of him and he had a strong suspicion that it had something to do with the Dimensional Doorway. Of course, that was impossibility as the only way he knew to return to his home dimension was sitting in one of the disused storage areas; not to mention that the Dimensional Doorway was tuned to the specific frequency of the Ultra Rangers' world and was permanently fixed on their location. As Jason's words sunk in, Billy's brow creased as he realised the similarities between what he had heard and the experiences of the two Ultra Rangers that had been sent to Equestria. Being snapped up in a portal that closed rapidly and the wind were all hallmarks of Interdimensional travel via the Multiversal Opener. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, he opened his mouth to speak…when a voice from behind interrupted him.

"This is the Command Tower; home to the Power Rangers of Equestria. We are recovering after a long and arduous battle with an exceptionally powerful enemy. My name is Princess Celestia and I am one of the guardians and mentors of the Rangers. The two ponies you see next to me are Twilight Sparkle and Applejack; the Purple and Red Rangers respectively. They use the power of the Zeo Crystal coupled with the magic of the Elements of Harmony to become Rangers to protect the world of Equestria from the combined forces of Discord and Zedd."

Upon hearing the last word, Jason's eyes went wide while Billy silently groaned to himself. He knew that Jason would want to know why a supposedly purified enemy was attacking Equestria and probably would shoehorn the blame onto Edward for some reason. As it was, the former Red Morphin Ranger looked ready to burst a blood vessel in anger but visibly forced himself to calm down. Billy tentatively held his breath and waited to see what the fallout would be. Behind him, he could hear the other Rangers teleport in from the clean-up tasks that had been assigned to them and stop short at the new human that had appeared.

For his part, Jason's mind was whirling with questions. He knew that the Z Wave had purified all evils in the Universe and that had included Lord Zedd. He had exchanged business cards with the former dictator while on a business trip to Briarwood but hadn't mentioned it to any of the others as he hadn't realised. Realisation had sunk in a few weeks prior as Kim had asked around if anyone had the contact details for the purified Zedd and Rita that were living in Briarwood. He had mentally kicked himself and had dug out the business card under a pile of boxes from his life before…it…had happened.

"How is Zedd even alive and why is he here?"

Billy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. For Jason to know would mean he would be initiated in to the world of the Power once more. He had heard from his sources that Jason had married his high school girlfriend and was living a relatively peaceful life that was unburdened by the Rangers. However, there seemed to be a strange sadness deep inside the man in front of him that aged his eyes greatly. Billy didn't know what the source of the sadness was but Jason would open up…in time.

"The Zedd we fought against was an amalgamation of two entities – the physical body and the evil essence. When the Z Wave struck, the physical body was purified while the essence fled into the deepest regions of the Universe. As it knew that new teams of Power Rangers would come into existence over time, it planned to break through the seemingly impenetrable dimensional barrier to emerge into a dimension with no Rangers protecting it. Amusingly, one of the dimensions it considered would be the one that the Ultra Rangers would come to defend.

The spell it cast sent out a great wave of energy that alerted the purified Zedd that something was wrong. Before he could investigate on his own, Dimitria of Inquiris contacted him with news of where the essence would be heading. He travelled to the planet – where I was staying after my departure from Aquitar – and we collaborated on a solution to travel to the dimension before him and prepare for the inevitable attacks."

Princess Celestia trotted up next to Billy and looked over the new human in front of her. Like Billy once did, the man seemed to radiate an aura of prehistoric power but it was easily dwarfed by the aura coming from the Element of Acceptance. Shooting a quick glance to where Shining Light was listening with great interest, she lightly cleared her throat and took up the narration.

"I had been recently reunited with my long-lost sister when I was first contacted by Dimitria. She informed me that herself and a colleague of hers would be travelling through the barrier to begin preparations to combat the strength of Lord Zedd. I had wanted to gather up the ponies who were best suited to be Rangers immediately, but Billy informed me that they would need to come closer together as a team. He moved his operation to a mountain in the Everfree Forest and began creating what would be needed for Power Rangers.

I offered him access to the mines under Canterlot as well; but he has yet to accept the offer. Along with my sister, Luna, they retrofitted Canterlot Tower into the Command Tower for the main base of operations. All of the Zords are stored in the Storage Bays below us but do not descend into the mines…for some reason. A year later, a few days after the Grand Galloping Gala, Zedd made his first move and the rest, as humans say, is history."

Jason slumped back as the information sunk into his brain. If Billy had been gone from Earth for a year then he didn't know of Aisha's death. He hated to break the news to his friend, but he saw no other way to inform him. Nodding at the strange white winged unicorn in front of him, he opened his mouth to break the news when a distorted wailing broke the silence. Pushing past Jason, Billy ran around the half-working Command Tower and brought up a rather static-y image of what was happening. Unsurprisingly, Ponyville was under attack once more and Billy could see the quadruped forms of several Z Centaurs menacing the populace. Mares, colts and foals alike were running in all directions and the ones who found the strength and courage to fight back were soon dealt with…usually in a brutal manner. Turning around, Billy looked at the ponies and nodded once.

"I'm going with you."

Not wanting to cause a great deal of fuss about reasons otherwise, Billy nodded once and summoned his Morpher to his left hand. As the Element of Acceptance materialised in the depression, he thrust out the device and began the morph.

"It's Morphin Time – Acceptance!"

TBC…


	84. White Darkness

Chapter 84: White Darkness

He knew he wasn't dreaming.

Picking himself up groggily from the base of the building he had been bucked into, Jason shook his head to clear out the cobwebs as he thought about the fight so far. No sooner had the red haze from the teleport cleared his vision, he had been thrust into a battle with grunts that were at least ten times as strong as Putties. His amazement at seeing the Equestrian Rangers and Billy fight had caused him to be swatted around a few more times by the grunts…and had eventually culminated in them throwing him into the wall. He could count at least seven grunts remaining out of the twenty or so that had been present at the start of the battle…but the fight had gone on for only fifteen minutes.

He blinked as the three Centaurs in front of him shattered into nothingness as a hail of red, purple and yellow bolts smashed into their bodies and could only gape in wonder as their Pink Ranger somehow changed her tail into a jagged blade of sorts. It was like something out of a cartoon and he had to force himself to remember that what he was seeing was real. Lifting up his Power Sword to defend against a jab from a Z Centaur, he looked up to see the other Pegasus Ranger blast _lightning_ out of the cannons on her sides. For the umpteenth time, he wondered why their powers had to be so strong against Zedd. The last time he had seen Zedd in his truly monstrous state had been when Zedd had sent down the Scarlet Sentinel and even then, he wasn't trying that hard. It had been downhill all the way until the Z-Wave had supposedly purified him. Essence or not…it was a mystery to him why they had to fight so hard against what had essentially been a joke until the Countdown.

"Incoming!"

Jerking his head up at Billy's shout, he twirled his Sword around in his hands to defend against a sudden rain of lasers that were coming from something he had only seen at his worst. What could only be described as a bipedal horse holding a short blade was gliding down from the skies above. It positioned itself in front of the remains of the Z Centaurs but stopped short as its gaze slowly looked Jason up and down.

"Another pesky human seems to have slipped through…interesting. My master will be most interested in this turn of events."

"Cut the crap, Discord. What's Zedd plotting now?"

Jason looked at the Midnight Blue Ranger next to him in shock as he saw the tight grip of his hands around the powered up Power Lance. Discord threw his head back and laughed loudly as he sheathed his xiphos behind his back. His master had sent him to gauge the strength of the Midnight Blue Ranger but he hadn't expected another Ranger from the same dimension to have slipped through the cracks. He heard the voice of his master echo in his head

_Retreat for now, Discord. I am about to send one Ranger out on a…loyalty exercise._

Discord grinned and nodded once. Drawing his sheathed xiphos once more, he thrust it forward; blasting the assembled Rangers in front of him with blood-red bolts of energy. As they reeled back from the energy, he crouched down and leapt into the air – barely missing a large sphere of white energy on the way up. He wished he could see the look on the face of the Midnight Blue Ranger as he finally realised that his Lord was certainly not one to be trifled with.

The energy sphere exploded against the ground below; sending chunks of dirt, grass and other materials everywhere. The Rangers struggled to keep themselves upright as the shockwave from the blast slammed into them. As the smoke, steam and vapour cleared from the air, Billy heard Jason inhale sharply and saw him lift his Power Sword into an offensive stance. Stowing his Acceptance Lance back into the holders on his belt, Billy summoned his Element Blade Blaster gauntlet and switched on the blades. Looking up, he felt his heart clutch in his chest as he saw their new enemy. It was a humanoid dressed in Ranger-esque white armour from head to toe. There was a single red diamond in the centre of its chest that held the stylised Z symbol of Lord Zedd…and for the briefest of instants; Billy thought Zedd had somehow acquired a Ranger power of his own. As the steam cleared, the Ranger-like figure addressed the group with a deep and demonic voice.

"Rangers, you have plagued my Master for too long and he grows angry with your rebellion. Be warned that I am just a messenger and in three weeks from now; we will strike you down with all of our force."

The Rangers looked at each other uncertainly as the Ranger talked. Three weeks wasn't a great deal of time and if they couldn't get the Dimensional Doorway working; they would be on their own. Jason stepped up as he knew Billy was running through various strategies in his mind that would protect his team the best. As he did, he saw the strange White Ranger flinch…almost as if it was recognising the Ranger under the suit. His voice echoed through the empty battlefield and never once belied the nervousness he was feeling.

"You tell Zedd the Power Rangers will never give up!"

The White Ranger staggered back if hit and started shaking. The Ranger fell to its knees and grabbed its featureless helmet as if in pain. Jason edged forward although everything in his body was screaming at him to stop. Steeling himself against the incredibly idiotic action her was about to take, he dropped his Power Sword to the ground and unlatched the clasps on his helmet. As the cool air washed over his face, he stepped back as the same energy sphere started to form over the shaking Ranger. Right before the sphere fully formed and blasted towards the Everfree Forest, Billy's jaw dropped to the ground as the voice from earlier changed into one that he hadn't heard for years.

"Jase…help me…"

TBC…


	85. Connection

AN: Primeval permeates even parallel planes…

Chapter 85: Connection

"That was Tommy; I'm sure of it."

Billy nodded in agreement as he replayed the words over in his mind and thought about the potential ramifications of Zedd's actions. If the evil Lord had just created robotic replicas with similar sounding voices, then they would be easy enough to destroy as his friends wouldn't be in any real danger. On the other hand…if Zedd _had_ found a way to break through the dimensional barrier and somehow pull out the real Tommy Oliver; well, everything would go to Hell soon after. He wryly shook his head as he realised that this was probably the fourth or fifth time that Tommy had been turned evil but he quickly sobered up as the implications sunk into his mind.

"What's going on? Billy, what do you know about the White Ranger that announced the attack?"

Turning to Rainbow Dash, Billy shook his head once before slinking to the Dimensional Doorway to see why it had turned out a false positive reading. Seeing his friend go, Jason sighed once and pulled out his Power Coin. Ever since it had been recharged by his touching of the physical embodiment of the Morphin Grid; danger and sadness had been coming to him in droves. First, his business had collapsed under him – literally – as he had regretted moving to Blue Bay Harbour at the peak of the Ninja Storm Rangers' battles. He had made it out of the rubble unscathed and had been forced back to Angel Grove with Emily in tow. On the way, they had stopped off at Reefside and he had caught up with Tommy…and a few weeks later, his friend was forced to give the Power to three of his students.

The worst blow the Power could have dealt him was when he and Emily had decided to visit London for a second honeymoon. They had been walking down a street when a strange portal had appeared in front of them. Emily had wandered in and had screamed soon after. He had charged in, fully morphed and had seen a sight that would haunt his nightmares. Emily was in the jaws of what could only be described as a giant grey biped…and she wasn't moving. He hadn't remembered much after that except swinging his Power Sword at the creature and dragging the disturbingly limp body of his wife back through the portal before it could close. She had regained consciousness at that moment and revealed she knew all along that he was a Power Ranger since High School. She had understood his secrecy and was extremely proud of him for defending the world. Her final words had been of undying love before she had died in his arms.

Of course, the London agency responsible for dealing with the portals – or anomalies – had been extremely apologetic in her loss. Jason even found help in one of the researchers who had apparently come from another timeline or something and had lost the woman he loved due to the butterfly effect. He had to hand it to Professor Cutter's determination to help him cope with his loss but in the end, Jason was forced to leave the Anomaly Research Centre before long. The ARC team had promised to keep his identity a guarded secret and had promised to call if they needed him. The only time they _had_ called; he was able to return the favour to Cutter by saving his life when he had been shot.

"The White Ranger is known to the two of you, correct?"

Jason snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the speaker. His eyes widened slightly at the dark blue winged unicorn in front of him and he took note of the similarity between her and the one that had spoken to him earlier…Celestia. He took a moment to look once up and down the new pony and nodded once. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed and attempted to gather his thoughts. Normal Tommy was a powerhouse when it came to fighting but Evil Tommy was a force that couldn't easily be stopped. He vividly remembered the battles against the Evil Green Ranger and knew that force had been used when he had been under Maligore's control.

"Yes, he's a good friend of ours. I don't understand how he could have come here. _I_ don't even know how I came here and Billy explained it to me in layman's terms!"

"Ah think you'd better explain 'bout this Tommy fellow tah the rest of us. Even those that met a version of him, Rainbow."

Jason nodded at Applejack as he wondered what was meant by 'other versions'. Even though Billy had informed him there was a Multiverse, he was sure that only meant the two dimensions and maybe branches off those two. Anyone in those branches would essentially be the same person as in the 'core' universe unless there was a radical shift in either Good or Evil…and the whole thing was giving him a headache and a half just thinking about it. He supposed an idea of a Multiverse would really start cementing itself in his mind if he saw a team of kid Rangers…but that wasn't likely to happen.

"Well, Tommy is a strong and powerful fighter with a shovelful of determination in him. When he fights, he has to hold himself back to avoid doing too much damage to the enemy. When he's evil…you feel it. Every attack is calculated to do the most amount of damage to the opponent…including breaking bones and rupturing internal organs. We have to be very careful if we go up against him in three weeks and only Billy or I have the experience going up against an Evil Tommy."

Twilight nodded once; finally accepting the man's place amongst them. As a previous Ranger, he had a wealth of experience that was sorely needed as Billy would be trying his hardest to repair the systems in the Command Tower. The ZARS would repair what damage had been done to his new Zord and she was certain there would be periods of rest to admire its capabilities. Knowing Billy, he would have made it possible to link up to the Harmonyzords and that thought made her frown slightly. They hadn't set hoof inside their Zords since the incident with Squeezer and had somehow managed to avoid spending time in the simulators to prepare for the inevitable Warriorzord combinations. They would have to force themselves into either the simulators or the actual cockpits to regain their confidence…or avoid using the Omega Mode for the next few battles.

"Let's get started."

TBC…


	86. Dark Reprisal

Chapter 86: Dark Reprisal

"It is almost time, Master."

Zedd nodded once as he turned to where the Dark Rangers were training. It was hard to believe that three weeks had passed since the defeat of the shadowed beast that had almost crushed the spirits of the Rangers. _Almost_ being the key word as the shadowy creature had ultimately allowed the Blue Ranger to gain a stronger and more potent Power Source and transform him into something called the Acceptance Ranger. Tricksy hadn't heard of a seventh Element of Harmony and, when pressed for information, Discord had said that it was merely a rumour created by the Dragons…but the evidence had stared them all in the face for the duration of the battle. When the new Zord had come out, Zedd had given up on watching the battle as he knew the outcome. The explosion a few minutes later coupled with the removal of the barrier was all he needed to know that the so-called Accepted Soul had won out.

Surprise number two had come when he had ordered Discord to lead an attack on Ponyville with a group of Z Centaurs a few days after. He had thought the Rangers would still be slightly demoralised and wouldn't really know about the attack until later…but he had been wrong. When the _Red Morphin Ranger_ had teleported into the battle, Zedd had stopped his scrying spell and had done a magical check to see if his eyes had finally stopped working correctly. After ensuring that his eyes were still good for a few more centuries, Zedd had refocused on the battle and had seen the level of Power disparity between Rangers. Even when the Blue Ranger had been morphing with his original Power Coin he hadn't been as weak as the Red Ranger and he had almost called back the White Ranger from his announcing mission. He certainly hadn't expected the Red Ranger to pull of his helmet in what was considered to be a battle situation, but it had happened and the tenuous hold of the spell had momentarily shattered. A forced teleport back had almost spiralled into disaster as one by one, the other Dark Rangers found the strength to rebel against the control spell. A quick reinforcement spell from Tricksy had ironed that problem out fairly quickly.

The past three weeks had been an intense regime of training the Rangers against clones of monsters he had sent against the Rangers of both dimensions in the past and he was very pleased to see the progress made. The Yellow Zeo Ranger in particular was very interesting to watch as he didn't think the former Yellow Ninjetti had passed on her Ninjetti Spirit Animal…and yet she was acting as if she had the same one. It was all very curious and, for the first time, he wished that he had the wherewithal to have taken Finster's essence as well. The issue of Zords wouldn't be a problem as well as before his dimensional crossing, he had managed to find the secret location where Zordon had hidden the Ninjazords and Shogunzords before the migration to the Zeo Crystal. Using a form of trickery and magic manipulation, he had formed links with all of the Zords and was now finalising the process to link them to their respective Ranger. The lack of Blue wasn't an issue as he had commissioned Gilda to create a remote for the massive Wolf Zord. So far, the remote was doing its job well and Gilda had proven herself to be good at something more than fighting.

Manipulating the present Ninjetti energies in their bodies had been child's play but it had the strange after-effect of giving the helmets a featureless look. No visors or decorations were present…just a blank face. It had unnerved everyone – even Discord – but Zedd didn't want to lessen the intimidation factor inherent in the design. Weapons hadn't been in the Ninjetti energies, but he had managed to create crude replicas of their Power Weapons and Blade Blasters and connect it to their Power Coins. So far, everything was working properly and they could certainly use whatever strategy they wanted to take down the enemies in front of them.

"Rangers! Tomorrow will be the day that you cast a shadow of fear and doubt into the hearts of those who would stand in your way!"

Rolling his eyes behind his visor, he motioned for Discord to continue. The former humanoid alicorn loved his position as motivational speaker as it allowed him to be in his element at all times. Zedd had drawn the parallels between him and Hitler but had wisely kept them to himself as he was sure Discord didn't want to be compared to a human. Stepping out of the chamber, Zedd walked to the mouth of the cave and looked out to the lushness of the Everfree Forest. He had thought more than once about creating more monsters from the creatures found there but had dismissed them as rather idiotic ideas. And since converting _her_, he had limitless power at his disposal.

"Everything is ready?"

Nodding once, he continued to stare out at the rapidly approaching night. It was hard to believe that come dawn, he would be ready to make a serious attempt at conquering the planet since his arrival. The monsters previously had been mere exercises that were designed to test the strength of the Rangers' resolve. Even the debacle with the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger had been nothing more than an interesting lesson on how not to follow through with a good plan.

"You are ready for what is to come? There is no turning back come morning."

The figure behind Zedd nodded once. She had thought about her decision long and hard and had even tried to resist the urges within her…but the more she had thought about it; the clearer everything seemed to become. She was being pushed away by the very people she was to guide to victory. Her advice was shunned in favour of _his_ and she knew that he would slip up someday. He had slipped up already and they didn't know it.

"I am steadfast in my decision. I will not falter and I will see it through to the end. No matter what."

Nodding his head, Zedd gripped his staff tighter and turned towards the one that had willingly walked away from everything.

"That is good to hear…Dimitria."

TBC…


	87. Strikes

Chapter 87: Strikes

"You've gotta be kidding me."

Looking to the Midnight Blue Ranger for some sort of explanation; Jason found that his friend was treating the six new arrivals with warmth and familiarity. He had woken up at the sound of excessive hoof-stomps and sounds of joy – a contrast to the usual grumblings of Rainbow Dash of the extreme early morning starts. Even though the weather-pony was used to early morning starts for extreme weather events; she still grumbled and yawned through the first half hour of training until she had the opportunity to hit something. Pulling on his training gear, he had walked toward the sound of cheers and had run into the Purple Ranger in the process. Twilight had taken a few moments to explain to him the history behind the appearance of the Ultra Rangers in Equestria and had mentioned the Orange Ranger as one not to be underestimated. He knew better than to underestimate the strength of Rangers but had wondered exactly how strong they were and who would win in a fight between the Orange Ranger and the Silver Astro Ranger.

He had walked with the purple unicorn to the Main Room of the Command Tower just in time to see a strange glowing portal snap open to expel six kids wearing colour co-ordinated clothes. Twilight had raced to the Asian in Orange and had thrown her front hooves around his neck…sending him crashing to the ground in surprise as he was greeting both Princesses. The girls in Purple and Silver had laughed at his attempts to extract himself from Twilight's hug and had locked eyes with the Red Ranger. All mirth had left his face in a split second and he had jerked his head at Billy once and the Midnight Blue Ranger had crouched down and started talking to him.

"He is not kidding you. These six indeed possess an aura of power that I have never seen before."

Glancing behind him, Jason saw the form of Shining Light trotting out of the room where she was recovering. The Earth Pony had been going through some strange changes over the past few weeks that had included her body beginning to go transparent and the ability to change herself into a strange globe of light on a few occasions. She had explained it as a side-effect of having her physical body destroyed and that she was technically energy made to look like her former form. She would soon return to a formless state but she would use the time she had left to see what could be done to strengthen the Power Rangers. Looking away from the slightly transparent pony, he saw that the Asian had finally gotten Twilight to let him go and was steadily making his way towards Jason. Amusingly, Fluttershy was trailing behind him…almost like a pet dog or something but that thought was slightly disturbing. As the boy stopped in front of him, Jason looked into his eyes and suppressed a shocked gasp as he saw the immense determination in his dark brown orbs.

"We haven't met. My name is Weihan Liang and I am the Orange Ultra Ranger."

Jason looked down to where Weihan had extended his hand and internally sighed. Taking the hand of the young boy, he shook it once; noting the strong grip of the Orange Ranger. At the sight of the two Rangers' handshake, the other Ultra Rangers seemed to relax visibly and heave small sighs of relief. Chatter filled the air once more and Jason left the group; feeling slightly out of place. Walking to the large warp tube that seemed to have no place in the Main Room, he stared up at it wistfully and wondered what Zordon would think of the supposed Ultra Rangers. Twilight had said that they were the strongest Rangers in the Multiverse and that the Orange Ranger had taken down a fully grown monster on his own…at least that was what he had said. A surprised shout from Pinkie made him blink as the Ranger inside him shook his head with the new information he had just heard.

For a Ranger to have the ability to change his or her own armour in the middle of battle was incredibly rare and it suffered from a marked power drop in future uses; the thought of a slight power increase after the first use would break all the known rules of Rangers. Not for the first time, he wondered what crazy universe they had come from and what other surprises were waiting for him down the road. Almost as if the Universe had heard him, the alarms started wailing as explosions were heard in the town below. Turning around, he saw that they were all clustered around the Scanning Station and were looking at an image in horror. Pushing his way through the crowd of Rangers, Jason glanced at the image once and swore as a ball of ice began forming in his gut.

The White Ranger was in the square, throwing blasts of energy at the panicking ponies around him. Flanking his sides were five similarly dressed figures in Red, Black, Yellow and Pink and they were gleefully destroying the surrounding areas with what looked like extremely crude replicas of the Power Weapons. Through the smoke in the image, the forms of Discord and Gilda could be seen…along with Zedd. Jason saw Weihan place a reassuring hand on Billy's shoulder as the Midnight Blue Ranger's anger became visible.

"Rangers! Come out and play!"

Zedd's voice echoed through the Command Tower; eliciting shivers from the Rangers who knew what he was capable of. Straightening up, the Orange Ranger's left hand rose to the centre of his chest and effortlessly pulled out an orange crystal that was shaped like a lightning bolt. The other five Ultra Rangers also pulled out crystals from their chests as well; but their crystals were long and narrow – reminding the former Gold Ranger of what the Zeo subcrystals had looked like. Six bright flashes later and Jason's eyes widened in amazement as the Ultra Rangers morphed into their Battle Armour. As the Ultra Rangers began going through their pre-battle checks, the Equestrian Rangers summoned their morphers from their subspace pockets and flash-morphed in seven flares of light. As the only one unmorphed, Jason slowly nodded once and pulled out his Power Morpher.

It was time for the fight to begin.

TBC…


	88. Devious Betrayal

Chapter 88: Devious Betrayal

The Dark Rangers never stood a chance.

The battle strategies that Discord and Gilda had literally pummelled into them over the past three weeks were only good for fighting a one-on-one battle with large chunks of psychological warfare thrown in for good measure. They had been trained to switch battle tactics at the drop of a hat and knew that the power surging through them would grant them an easy victory over the eight Rangers. When the Ultra Rangers had shown up…everything had gone straight to Hell as they knew exactly where to attack. As Discord brought up his xiphos to block the blade of the Orange Ranger, he felt the pain from the energy bolts being blasted from the Yellow Ranger. The Pegasus had lost all of her timidness upon spying him and had made the first attack with a combination of blasts from the blasters on her chest and tail. Ducking away from a thrown fireball, he looked around to see how the Dark Rangers, Gilda and his Master were doing against their opponents.

"All of you get the good opponents…so why do I get stuck with _him_?"

Rachelle didn't expect anyone to reply to her grumblings as her Ankylo Hammer connected with the chest of the Dark Red Ranger for the umpteenth time. No matter what she threw at the Ranger she knew was Rocky; he kept getting up like some demented Ranger Terminator. It apparently didn't matter to him that his replica Power Sword had been shattered early on or that his crude Blade Blaster could only fire out pathetic sparks…he just kept attacking him with a single-minded devotion. She shook her head and lifted her Hammer up once again before channelling energy into the weapon to unleash a massive energy shockwave that engulfed the Dark Red Ranger in a column of blinding light. Following up the powerful attack with a hammer slam to the ground; she was unsurprised to see the Red Ranger still standing.

"Damn you, Gilda! Why won't you ditch Zedd?"

Rainbow Dash zipped through the clouds after the madly cackling griffon that had once been her friend. She knew that the White Ultra Ranger was struggling to keep up with her movements but she didn't really care. Banking to the left as three red bolts of energy narrowly missed her; she heard a mocking laugh come from ahead. Eyes narrowing behind her visor, she fired off a crackling blast of lightning that impacted dead on the hovering griffon in front of her. The electricity paralysed the aerial warrior temporarily and her wings locked up…but her mouth was still able to move.

"No one ditches Zedd! He gave me the power to make you mine once more! I can give you better than the Earth pony can!"

Snorting in anger, Dash inhaled deeply and rocketed up into the air…just as Will managed to catch up with her on his Galaxy Glider. Drawing the Astro Blaster on his hip, he snapped off four light blue blasts at Gilda's falling body just as a rainbow trail appeared in front of him. Blinking in surprise, he watched the trail of light increase its speed and form a crackling mach cone and he braced himself to what was to come.

A booming explosion sounded across the battlefield as an energised wave of rainbow light erupted out like ripples in a pond; taking almost all combatants by surprise. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Billy swung his Acceptance Lance at Zedd's stomach and was slightly disappointed at the slow reaction time. He was keeping a good distance away from the ponified dictator as he didn't want a repeat of the last incident happening again. Even though he had managed to work through the underlying issues surrounding Cestria's death, he never wanted to relive that moment ever again as it would dishonour the man he was now. Flipping away from Zedd, he tried to catch his breath as Twilight blasted Zedd with her Magic Launchers. He wondered if her weapons could combine with his Tricera Cannon to form a variant of the Harmony Striker he had seen but thought against it. He would test out that theory after the battle. Summoning the Tricera Cannon, he blasted the area around Zedd and rolled away as a tendril of fire sliced towards him.

"Is that all you've got, Zedd? I expected more of you than this!"

"Hardly, Ranger. I am merely saving my energy for the grand finale!"

Billy dismissed the Tricera Cannon and pulled out his Element Blade Blaster; flicking out the blade a split second after the gauntlet weapon materialised. Bringing the Blade down on Zedd's staff, he locked gazes with the fleshman while Twilight continued to pepper the area around them with precise blasts that allowed Zedd to continually be off-balance. Sensing an attack coming close, the two enemies separated just in time to allow the White Ranger's armoured form to strike against a nearby wall and fall into a crumpled heap. Sluggishly, the White Ranger picked himself off the ground, nodded once to Zedd and drew a crude replica of Saba from his belt.

"Here he comes again."

"Not for much longer, Sugarcube. I got mah legs all charged up an' ready."

Jason waited for Tommy to get closer before summoning his Power Sword to block a jab from the black fake Saba (or not-Saba as he was calling it). Slashing his blade in return, he continued to corral Tommy down a side street away from the fighting and towards Applejack. The Red Equestrian Ranger had a surprisingly good head for strategy that contrasted against her seemingly stubborn personality. On the other hand, being stubborn was one of the hallmarks of being a good leader; yet it was a mystery to him why Twilight was the leader and not Applejack. Princess Celestia had tried to explain it as her student having the most powerful Element within her or something like that. Everything to do with Equestrian magic completely went over his head but Luna had theorised that a strong enough blow to the Dark Rangers could break the hold of the spell temporarily. It was just sheer luck that he had been paired up with Applejack as he knew the hind legs of the Earth pony were extremely strong.

"Now!"

Leaping away from the confused White Ranger, Jason felt the air below him ripple as Applejack's legs rocketed towards the Dark Ranger; impacting against the chest with deadly accuracy and force. The White Ranger flew back and slammed into the wall of a monster shelter so hard that the armour on the walls vibrated rather ominously for a minute. Cautiously creeping towards the downed Ranger, Jason reached out and pushed the White Ranger's shoulder. A weak voice came from under the featureless helmet.

"Jason…get out of here. Warn Edward that Zedd is here. The spell…too damn strong; can only fight it for so long. Damn her for siding with Zedd."

Jason shared a worried look with Applejack as Tommy's body began to shake violently. Amidst the shaking, Tommy looked up at the two Red Rangers and spoke words that chilled them to their core before he was forcefully teleported out.

"Dimitria…she's sided with Zedd."

TBC…


	89. Unexploded Shell

Chapter 89: Unexploded Shell

He eyed the Ranger in front of him and internally sighed.

The Orange Ranger had grown exponentially stronger since their last battle and had picked up a few new tricks. He had sent off the Yellow Ranger to help the Brown Ultra Ranger with the Black Dark Ranger; but he didn't let his guard drop just yet. The sharp edge of his xiphos had been worn away by countless parries and attacks; leaving him only fighting hand to hand. A tingling in his teeth set the realisation into his mind that the spell on one of the Rangers had been temporarily lifted and he remotely activated the teleporter on the Ranger in question. The moment away from the battle cost him as a flame covered fist slammed into his lower gut, cracking several ribs below his armour. Crashing at the base of a tree, he made an attempt to get to his feet when he found himself staring down the blade of the Orange Ranger's Sabre.

"Leave now. You know what happened last time."

In an extraordinary display of common sense, the humanoid alicorn teleported off the battlefield in a blaze of light. Weihan rested his Sabre on his left shoulder and surveyed the battlefield. Jason and Applejack had apparently dealt with the Dark White Ranger but, judging from their body language, were extremely shocked and stunned about something. Wondering what it could possibly be, he swung his gaze to Rebecca and Fluttershy in their fight with the Black Dark Ranger. Through a process of elimination; he guessed that the ex-Ranger under the helmet was very likely to be Adam. He watched the Dark Ranger pull out a rather shoddy replica of the Power Axe and swing it at Fluttershy; who responded with a blast from her Tail Stinger. He made a move to help them but was stopped by a rather…surreal sight.

"Eat pies!"

Eliza blinked in amazement as the Pink Earth pony seemed to blink out of existence for a split second; only to return with a mini catapult that used pies for ammunition. Hoof cranking with all of her might, Pinkie fired pie after pie at the Dark Pink Ranger as the Purple Ultra Ranger looked on in stunned disbelief. The Dark Pink Ranger already couldn't move from her spot as a barrage of glue bullets had cemented her to the ground. Her Carno Claws hung loosely from her hands as she tried to wrap her mind around the physical impossibilities that Pinkie was both doing and saying. Even trying to keep up with her rambling battle commentary was a tiring task.

"Come on, I know who you are and you know who you are but she doesn't know who you are and the readers know who you are; but I don't know who you are! Don't look at me like that; it's rather rude to roll your eyes. Hey, I had a strange dream that we were nothing more than words on a strange electronic device that was being written by the Orange Ranger, though he wasn't the Orange Ranger in my dream and had a brain that was crammed with every single scene from every single story and a whole lot of strange other stuff involving giant robots that weren't Zords, blonde girls with large breasts that can control water and other stuff I can't see but I know is in there. And if I concentrate really hard, I can see through his eyes and it kinda freaks him out but he doesn't really care. No! Don't end my sentence! I'm still talking!"

Tearing his eyes away from the mind-bending sight; Weihan focused on Billy and Twilight's battle with Zedd as he tried to get Pinkie's words out of his brain. The horse-like Lord seemed to be steadily gaining the upper hand over the two Rangers but judging from the ferocious blows of the two Rangers; the upper hand would soon be theirs. He wondered if he could ask Twilight to combine their weapons into the Harmony Striker again in an attempt to force Zedd from the battlefield…but decided against that idea. Taking Twilight out of a fight in which she had her full concentration on would be bad for Billy. Even with his new Ranger Powers, Zedd was more than a match for the both of them and probably wouldn't be taken down with a fire-charged gut punch. On the other hand; his entire body was made of meat and flames on muscle would be extremely damaging. He forcibly wrenched the image of Zedd on fire out of his mind as it would put him off steak permanently.

It seemed that the Dark Rangers were being forced to retreat one after the other in rapid succession until it was just Zedd and the Dark Yellow Ranger on the battlefield. Jason and Applejack were talking with the Rangers who weren't in battle and they were also showing the same signs of shock and surprise. Flipping over a wild shot from the Dark Yellow Ranger; Weihan jogged over to the group just in time to hear the unbelievable words come out of Applejack's mouth.

"An' then he said that Dimitria had sided with Zedd. He left in a real hurry after that."

A numb feeling of shock washed through his body and Jason nodded at him knowingly. It was impossible for a being of highest good to side willingly with Zedd but he supposed that no one was really safe from the seductive calls of greater power. Lifting up his Sabre to deflect another wayward shot from the Dark Yellow Ranger, he supposed it made sense in a way. Although it had been explained to him that Dimitria had been the first to make the initial contact with Princess Celestia; guidance of the Rangers had fallen on the shoulders of the Blue Ranger and the alicorn sisters. Dimitria had been pushed to the wayside in favour of the experienced Ranger and royalty and although she had become useful during the 'incident' with Love Tick, she had become obsolete during the battle with Creeper and – according to Applejack – hadn't been seen much after that.

As Rarity and Sarah finally made the Dark Yellow Ranger retreat, he wondered when Dimitria had switched loyalties and how long she had been spying on their activities. It also planted a nasty seed of doubt in his mind as it was a distinct possibility the Royal Alicorn Sisters could have been swayed by the power possessed by Zedd. That seed died a rather swift death as he realised that both Celestia and Luna would not want the power granted by Zedd and would have actively sought to wipe it from the face of Equestria. Luna, in particular, wouldn't want the threat of another Nightmare Moon hanging over Equestria; especially if Discord was involved. Shaking his head to expel those thoughts from his mind, he nodded once at the assembled group of Rangers and charged towards Zedd.

Seeing that he was he only one still actively fighting, Zedd snorted under his breath and looked around him. If he were battling the seven Equestrian Rangers; he would have continued to fight. However, despite the failure of his plans so far, he wasn't stupid and knew when it was a good time to cut his losses. So what if the first attack had failed miserably? He would allow Dimitria to strengthen the Dark Rangers for their next outing and – if need be – he would use her to power up the backup weapons. He lifted his staff into the air and began charging it with magic. A short blast of power would be all the distraction he would need to make his escape and if he fired in the right spot…then he could theoretically take out the Red Morphin Ranger as well. Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation on the flow of magic…almost as if something was tugging at it from underground. As the tugging grew in intensity, Zedd almost swore it was as if one of his growth grenades was being activated; yet that was impossible. Only one monster had been sent out since the experiment with Mortaro and hadn't had the chance to grow into a giant. Shrugging off the feeling, he lowered his staff and sent a blast of blazing energy rocketing towards the surprised Red Ranger. Just a few more microseconds and the Red Morphin Ranger would be wishing he had never come to Equestria.

The blast didn't connect.

As soon as the concentrated magic beam had left the uppermost tip of the Z; it had shot straight down to the ground and had begun burrowing. The Rangers were looking at the burrowing blast with apprehension and their body language suggested they had no idea what Zedd was about to pull. Idly scratching the top of his brain, Zedd felt minute tremors under his feet and could see cracks starting to form on the surface. A familiar energy washed over him and he shook his head in amazement. So, the experiment had been a success…

The ground quaked violently and broke apart as a massive monster burst from the ground beneath them. The Rangers dove for cover as the massive centaur roared triumphantly into the air and fired explosive blasts from the repaired barrels on its shoulders. Craning his head up from his position over Fluttershy's body, Weihan swallowed hard as Mortaro bellowed in bloodlust and its head swung down to the Rangers below.

"Harmonyzords, Activate!"

TBC…


	90. Alive and Kicking

AN: And another Megazord Mode debuts! Trivia for previous chapter: Pinkie's look inside my brain involved her seeing Gundam, Aquarion, and Gravion (robots that aren't Zords); Tsukiumi from Sekirei (blonde that can control water) and other random bits and pieces

Chapter 90: Alive and Kicking

She could have bucked herself.

As the six equine machines thundered towards them, Twilight knew they weren't up for the task. With the possible exception of Applejack and herself, none of the others had been in the Zords since the incident with Squeezer. Her time in the Hydra Thunderzord didn't really count as she had been unconscious for the most part and, according to the Orange Ranger, she had visibly freaked out when she had come to her senses. However, she was the leader of the Rangers and, as such, she had to do what was best for the world – even if that meant showing harshly tough love to the other Rangers. Nodding once to Applejack, she galloped toward her Harmonyzord and leapt into the air; allowing the line-of-sight teleport to take her into the motion-capture cockpit. The only issue now was forming the Megazord to defeat the revived monster that they all thought had been destroyed. Noticing that the other Rangers were in their Zords, she circled the monster warily and opened up a communication channel to her friends both in the battle and on the ground.

"We need the Megazord but…we can't form Omega anymore. Options?"

On the ground, Billy lifted his communicator to his mouthpiece as he saw the Orange and Purple Rangers attack Zedd. As they were the only two that had some measure of experience against the deformed Overlord – and they had close-quarter weapons – they were better suited to attacking than the others. Remembering his promise to himself to tell of the other Modes of the Megazord, Billy brought up the electronic replica of his notes on his HUD. Omega mode would be off the list of options until the Rangers cleared their internal hurdles and focused on the battle in front of them. Combining with his Shogunzord was also out as the most effective combination involved the Omega mode. In the heat of the moment, the only combination that offered the best speed, offensive capabilities and range was…

"Rangers, switch to Harmony Megazord Phi Mode. Rainbow Dash, you have control."

A squeal of joy came from the Blue Ranger before she composed herself. Relaxing her mind to allow the new information to flood in, she knew she could pull this off. Accessing the combination menu on her HUD, she scrolled through the options available and wistfully looked at the option for the Apple Flyer again. Now that she knew Applejack loved her, the merging of their Zords would take on a whole new meaning…not that she minded of course. Shaking her head out of the myriad of fantasies that were popping up in her mind, she selected the option and inhaled deeply.

"Harmony Megazord – Phi Mode!"

She felt the Power respond as all six Zords lifted into the air. The head, neck and wings detached from the main body of the Zord and combined together to form a helmet of sorts with twin jagged visors and a skull-like mouth plate. The top of the head folded in to form the main cockpit and Rainbow gulped nervously as the cockpit changed into the circular configuration as the Omega Mode. Sucking in air through her teeth, the Pegasus slid her front hooves in the control sleeves and awaited the arrival of the other Rangers. The Kindness Harmonyzord folded its head, neck and mane into tis body and connected with the remainder of the Loyalty Harmonyzord. Two large metallic wings unfurled from the back of the body and cast a warming light on the battle below. Recovering after a feinted slash from Zedd, Weihan's jaw dropped open as the rest of the Megazord began to come together. The twin Unicorn Harmonyzords tucked the front and hind hooves into their bodies and connected head-first with the Kindness Harmonyzord. The tail detached from the Laughter Zord and formed shoulder-plates with a hole that the horns slid through. Connecting onto the rear end of the Generosity Zord was a large fist that looked like it was made up from the rest of Pinkie's Zord and Weihan shook his head in disbelief as more bright pink attachments popped in from seemingly out of nowhere.

"Billy – did you design that in Pinkie's Zord?"

The Midnight Blue Ranger shook his head slowly as the pieces connected with the exposed chest of the Megazord – forming a chest-plate in a similar shape as Rainbow Dash's Cutie Mark. Apparently not one to be left out, the Honesty Harmonyzord rear-ended Fluttershy's Zord and the front legs reached around to lock into place just behind the chest-plate. The hind legs became slightly thicker and an aura of power seemed to exude from them as strange three-toed feet attached themselves onto the Zord's hooves. Billy blinked in shock at the development and hastily checked his design notes before slapping his forehead with his right hand. Instead of the sturdy blocks that he had envisaged, the taloned feet looked like they had come directly off the Falcon Wildzord. From the shouts of surprise coming over the communication channel, the feeling of shock and surreal amusement was mutual. Yet, the addition of the clawed feet wasn't the only strange surprise in store for the Phi Mode as a strange bladed gauntlet attached on the end of the right arm…and didn't seem to have any visible fingers.

"Pinkie, where's the right hand?"

"Oh, its there silly! The gauntlet is the right hand as the author accidentally used up the majority of my Zord in the design sketch for the left hand. He tried so hard to make it work without making it seem like another Omega Mode but had to go for this look as it will be a better fit for the future battles. And I totally agree that it's strange that _that_ story finally got a review after so long! Keep up the good work, Billy!"

A long pause ensued as Pinkie materialised in the Main Command cockpit and slid her front hooves into the Control Sleeves, while looking at something expectantly. After a few more seconds, she let out a small disappointed sigh and grumbled under her breath about understanding that he had a job to do and so did she. Applejack scratched the side of her helmet before sliding her hooves into the sleeves and frantically trying to get an very racy image out of her mind. Rainbow Dash noted that all six Rangers were assembled and had their hooves in the sleeves. It was time to see what the Phi Mode could do.

"Harmony Megazord Phi; Combination Complete!"

TBC…

AN2: *pats Pinkie on the head*

Pinkie: *smiles*


	91. Blindsided

Chapter 91: Blindsided

It was a one-sided match.

Mode Phi clearly had the advantage over the newly revived monster and it showed. Shells exploded just out of reach of the Megazord as lasers and lightning bolts rained from overhead. A rather intriguing feature was that the twin blades could apparently be charged with Elemental energy for a rather vicious slash with other…added…effects. Dash grinned to herself as she charged the blades again with Applejack's Earth control and drew the arm back for another blow. Everypony had been slightly shaky at first and they had been battered around by Mortaro's shells until Pinkie had rather unexpectedly snapped them out of their apprehension by accidentally pushing the control to extend the wings. The sudden jerk upwards had taken them completely by surprise and they had frantically scrambled for control of the massive Zord before it achieved Low Equestrian Orbit. After a quick laugh over the sheer randomness of the situation, they had declared that their fear on piloting the Megazord was silly and shouldn't really be affecting them so badly.

After seeing the formation of a new Megazord Mode; Zedd teleported away from the battle and that left the Rangers at a loss as to what to do. As far as they could tell, the battle would be over fairly quickly and the armoured walls of the monster shelters were holding up well. A few charged blasts from the Raptor Cannon ensured that most of the dud shells that were fired wouldn't be picked up by anypony after the battle. Weihan and Jason were comparing notes on their experiences and was only keeping one eye on the battle raging above them. The Red Morphin Ranger was keeping quiet on if the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord was revived along with his powers but Weihan had a strange feeling that it had.

"Incoming!"

Jerking his head up at Will's shout, Weihan saw a large metal tube separate from the shoulder of Mortaro and plummet down. Acting on impulse, he crouched low to the ground and propelled himself up; summoning his Raptor Sabre and charging it with as much fire as he could cram into the blade. Reaching the apex of his leap, he saw the tube in his field of vision for a split second before bringing down the charged blade in a replica of the move used to destroy the Ogre all those months ago. Pushing himself away to gain some distance from the inevitable explosion, he could see the Everfree Forest in his field of vision and swore there was a brief flash of light in the distance. A cold chill crept down his back as he heard the metal tube explode behind him and he mentally grabbed hold of the reins connecting him to his Ninjazord. He had a strange feeling he was going to need it.

"Core temperature critical! Rainbow, we need to finish this soon or we're gonna overheat!"

"I'm doin' all I can! Rarity, siphon the excess heat into the blades and keep at it until the temperature goes down!"

Hooves shaking nervously, the Green Ranger complied with the demands and pressures being placed onto her. Scrolling through the menu of options for a final attack, Dash chewed her lower lip as none of the moves seemed flashy enough for her. The Sonic Slash sounded interesting but a bladed finisher was already the norm for the Omega Mode. Wing Strike looked cool in the CGI demonstration, but it didn't have her signature style in mind. As the twin blades slashed Mortaro's remaining launcher, she could feel the heat pouring off the blades as the metal tube _melted_. Bringing the strange clawed feet up to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick to the stunned monster, a flash of brilliance blasted into her mind as she took complete control of the Mode Phi.

Blasting the afterburners on the back of the Megazord, the massive machine rocketed into the air once more as the other Rangers tried to control the speed of their ascent. They could feel their ears pop as the pressure changed and they wondered exactly what the Blue Ranger was doing to quickly end the fight. Around them, various alarms blared as they broke through the atmosphere and achieved Low Equestrian Orbit.

"Beautiful…"

Twilight breathed out the word as they stared at the green, blue and black sphere in front of them. From their height, they could see the contours of the continents and could even see that there were more land masses other than the main three. She felt tears well in her eyes as the indescribable beauty of Equestria and the surrounding stars and Moon came into view…and then she heard Rainbow call the attack.

"Rainboom Kick!"

Her stomach leapt into her throat as the massive machine plummeted to the ground below. Her ears popped again and the Purple Ranger stared at the display in front of her in shock. As they were falling feet first, a strange cone of crackling energy was starting to form on the base of the feet. As they passed the atmospheric barrier, the clawed feet transformed into metallic hooves; allowing the crackling cone to become sleeker. A few moments later, a bright flash filled the skies as the sound and light barriers were broken. A wave of rainbow energy rippled out from the falling Megazord as, a split second later, the hooves slammed into Mortaro with all the force of several exploding hydrogen bombs. The explosion that signalled the end of Mortaro's life was indistinguishable from the cloud of dust, smoke and flames that erupted from the point of impact…yet there was no victory in the air.

As the cloud cleared away, the Harmony Megazord Phi slumped where it stood. All of its power supplies had been drained in the final attack and – judging from the readings he was seeing on his HUD – the connectors were on their last legs. Billy sighed in relief as he unmuted the communication channel on his end and opened his mouth to congratulate the Rangers. Against all odds; they had pulled off something truly amazing and awe-inspiring. As his mind flashed to the beginning of the battle, he wondered why the 'invincibility shield' hadn't deployed but thought nothing of it.

"Rangers, return to base for –"

Five streams of energy blasted out of nowhere and struck the Harmony Megazord's chest, sending it crashing to the ground. The Rangers were automatically ejected from the cockpit as the Megazord disassembled and teleported away from the battle for critical repairs. Rushing over to the shocked ponies, Billy looked around for the source of the attack and his eyes bulged out as he saw the attackers.

"We need a better plan."

TBC…


	92. Blast from the Past

Chapter 92: Blast from the Past

It was something out of his darkest nightmares.

Five majestic mechanical animals towered over them in a pose of victory. The White Falcon was perched on the shoulder of the Red Ape and the Pink Crane circled lazily overhead. A Black Frog moved closer to a Yellow Bear as it ducked its head down and growled throatily. Flanking them on either sides were two giant monsters that Billy and Jason recognised all too well. One was a humanoid stag beetle with green and yellow energy crackling from its hands. Unlike the previous insect monsters Zedd had created since his arrival to Equestria; this monster only had one pair of arms. The other monster looked like a strange mutated worm coming out of a spiked shell. In its left hand, it tightly gripped an ornately decorated staff with a large club-like shell on top. Seeing the Red Morphin Ranger, the second monster seemed to grin and peered down at them.

"Hey, I remember you! This is going to be payback for making me get indigestion!"

Diving out of the way of a poorly aimed swing, Jason grumbled under his breath as Turbanshell readied its staff for another attack. He wished he could battle the giant monster on an even footing, yet he wasn't sure if his Zord had made the dimensional leap or not. Contrary to what he had told the Orange Ranger; he knew his Dinozord had been restored and was in full operational order. Prior to his leaving for Auckland, Justin had given the mighty battle machine a thorough check and had given it a thumbs up. The former Blue Turbo Ranger had also given him a detailed report outlining exactly what systems had been changed from their original parameters and what had been strengthened. It had gone soaring right over his head and he had just smiled and nodded. He could see the Ultra Rangers fall into summoning stances and wondered what exactly they were going to pull out to help them.

"Ninjazord Power!"

Six bright flashes of light were all it took for the ambushers to become the ambushees. In rapid succession, six brightly coloured metallic animals attacked the combined group and sent them scattering. Jason's jaw dropped open as a hyper-realistic metallic Saltwater Crocodile with orange 'scales' lunged at the Ape Zord and managed to tear off a long strip of reinforced armour before blasting the open 'wound' with lasers from its eyes. A Purple and White Siberian Tiger rammed the Bear Zord and sent it spinning into the outermost wall surrounding Canterlot. Jason dearly hoped the guards had reinforced shelters as he didn't want to see anypony hurt. He could see the White Falconzord attempt a quick lift-off but winced under his helmet as a White and Brown Eaglehawk raked its laser talons over its back. A metallic screech of pain was emitted by the Falconzord as it tried in vain to defend itself from the tearing beak and talons of the larger Ninjazord. As he continued watching the Ninjazords tear at each other, he almost didn't notice the movements of Turbanshell behind him. The revived monster had crept up behind the Red Ranger and was drawing its spiked staff back in a blow that would have crushed the Red Ranger into chunky salsa.

Jason turned at a sound behind him just in time to see a large Silver and Black Elephant Seal tackle Turbanshell to the ground and clamp down hard on the shell-like armour with its powerful jaws. The sound of splintering bone filled the air as Turbanshell tried vainly to push away the robotic animal that was attacking it – even going so far as to turn to Stag Beetle for assistance. However, the insectoid monster currently was having a rough time defending itself from the frighteningly accurate mechanical Giant Huntsman Spiderzord that was attempting to sink its laser-coated fangs into its carapace. Backing up so his body was in front of the recovering ponies, he looked for the Black Frog Ninjazord…only to see it rammed mid-leap by a Green and Gold Leatherback Turtlezord. The two mechanical combatants even managed to slam back-first into the Crane Ninjazord and send it crashing to the ground. Only a lucky shot with the Frog's electric tongue-whip made the Green Turtlezord disengage its battle momentarily; backing away and returning fire with a barrage of rockets that fired from under its shell.

"Billy…any suggestions?"

The Midnight Blue Ranger shook his head. He had thought about calling on the Wolf Shogunzord but now that he knew Dimitria was allied with Zedd, he didn't think he could until he had protected it from being taken over either electronically or magically. The thought of the Wolf Shogunzord in the hands of Zedd and the Dark Rangers scared him immensely as they would be able to form the Ninja Megazord and – theoretically – be able to crush the Harmony Megazord entirely. He didn't know how is would fare against the Ultra Rangers' Zords, but he would be willing to bet that they wouldn't be fighting the Megazord with their full strength. There was also the fact that if he called for his Zord and Jason was able to summon a Zord of his own; the ponies would be vulnerable to any sudden attacks by Zedd. There was just one thing that was nagging at him.

"Jase, how did you recharge your Powers?"

"By touching a physical manifestation of the Morphin Grid while holding my Power Coin. It was about a day or so before the Reds travelled to the Moon to defeat Serpenterra. Why do you ask?"

Actually, it had been slightly more complicated than that. Rocky had called him up and told him of the mission to the Moon. He had been in Arizona with Emily but had jumped at the chance to have a change of scenery. He had told his wife that something important had come up and he had to fly to see a client about an urgent matter that couldn't be discussed over the phone. Emily had accepted the story on face value and had allowed him to leave…except he didn't really know where Rocky was. A quick call on the side of the road had given him a location in Anaheim where the Red Ninja Ranger had unearthed the physical embodiment of the Morphin Grid. A quick call to Andros had educated him that Zordon had hidden the embodiment of the Grid on Earth, but its location was a mystery. The touching of the Grid had amounted to tripping at the wrong moment and sticking a hand in his pocket where his Power Coin was stowed. A bright flash of Red light later and Rocky was staring open-mouthed at a fully morphed Red Morphin Ranger. He didn't know where the embodiment had gone after that; but rumour had it that Tommy had it locked up somewhere.

"Maybe you can summon your Dinozord or Thunderzord. It'll give the Rangers an added advantage and you can see how well it performs."

Jason slowly nodded and inhaled deeply. To summon his Dinozord in an actual battle situation and pilot it for the first time in years would be a mighty rush. He would have to go through all of the old movements and gestures to ensure he was able the gain the most out of the Zord. From the earlier hand-to-hand battle against Tommy, he knew he was ready to take the extra step and call upon Earth's first Zord. Stepping toward the battlefield, he exhaled slowly and reached within himself to the place where his Dinozord resided in the Morphin Grid. It was now or never.

"Tyrannosaurus Dinozord Power!"

TBC…


	93. Old School

Chapter 93: Old School

The ground quaked and rumbled.

A deep fissure split the plains near Canterlot in half and lava spurted from between the cracks. A growling roar echoed in the air and Jason grinned under his helmet. From the gap in the Earth rose a majestic machine that was red and silver in colour. It stood in what old palaeontologists would describe as the 'kangaroo stance', with a segmented tail dragging behind it. Two stubby horns protruded from the rear of its head and its yellow eyes flashed with animalistic intelligence. Lifting up one red and silver leg from the lava pit, the mighty Tyrannosaurus Dinozord clawed the air and stepped onto Equestrian soil like an emissary from the distant past. Leaping up to the head of the Dinozord, Jason took a few seconds to admire the view and plan his attack before dropping down into the cockpit.

As always; he placed both of his hands on the hand grips on either side of him, concentrating as he felt the security system disengage to allow him total control of the battle machine. He would have made some sort of announcement as he usually did about 'powering up the Dinozord' or something like that, but he really saw no need to. As the energy streams combined into the symbol of his Power Coin, he dropped his left hand to his belt and withdrew the golden disc. Lifting it up in front of him, he was aware of the sounds of battle recommencing as the Ultra Rangers attempted to give him enough time to complete the long power-up sequence. Flicking the coin into his palm, he slid his right hand out from his left hand until the conical crystal materialised. Without any announcement or proclamation, he inserted the point of the crystal into the socket that opened up, filling the cockpit with a bright red flash momentarily. Only when he was sure that the crystal was locked into place did he offer any form of battle call.

"Tyrannosaurus Dinozord, powered up!"

Pushing the control stick forward, the ancient Zord trudged forward. Jason was very aware that his Zord didn't have the so-called 'wow factor' of the Ultra Zords but he could use that to his advantage. Even as he thought that; Turbanshell had disengaged from the Elephant Seal Ninjazord and was trudging in his direction. The monster had definitely seen better days as it had large holes in its shell from the powerful jaws of the Ninjazord and the shell on the staff had all but been eaten away. Placing his right hand on the control panel next to him, he tapped in a series of commands to activate shields and weapons. Trigger buttons emerged from the control stick and he rested his fingers on them and waited for the perfect moment. As Turbanshell approached striking range, he jerked the control stick to the left and back. The movements had the effect of making the Dinozord lean back and lash out with both lava-encrusted feet. The metallic feet slammed into the mollusc monster's chest – breaking several of its bony supports and searing the flesh around the impact sites. Whipping around, the heavy tail of the Zord lifted from the ground and slammed down on the fallen monster viciously as Stag Beetle's defences finally failed and it was bitten by the Huntsman Zord.

Keeping the tail of the Dinozord firmly wedged over the trapped monster, Jason watching in interest as the Stag Beetle that had tried to drain Tommy's Green Ranger Powers finally met its demise for the third time. The carapace of the monster bulged out as if air was being blasted in between the cracks and the monster began to screech in pain as smoke started to seep out of its mouth. The Huntsman Spiderzord skittered to the Crocodile Ninjazord and seemed to confer with it for a moment. The communication channel crackled on and – for the first time that fight – they could clearly hear the ominously evil tone of the White Ranger.

"Power Rangers; we will meet again. Time will tell if you develop enough strength to defeat us."

In a flash of light, all five Dark Ninjazords vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving Stag Beetle and Turbanshell as the only remaining combatants. Jason shook his head in dismay and wondered exactly how the spell on Tommy and the Rangers could be broken this time. It wouldn't be as obvious as a weapon or even the faces of loved ones to bring them back…but he would confer with both Princesses and Shining Light later. Maybe he could include the other Ultra Rangers as well, but he seriously doubted they had enough experience with Zedd to be of any use. He watched the Crocodile Ninjazord open its mouth to expose rows of jagged teeth and, in the back of its maw, twin turrets that flashed twice in rapid succession. The Red Ranger felt his teeth tingle as the high-powered sonic wave smashed through the air in front of the Dinozord and rammed into the dying monster. There was just enough of a pause for Jason to see the carapace shatter off the insectoid monster before it vanished in a blinding flash of flame.

"Jason, we'll hold back for now. The shellfish is all yours."

Nodding in reply, Jason switched off the communication channel and lifted the heavy tail of the Dinozord off Turbanshell's body; allowing it to sluggishly stand up and look at the charred spot where its companion had stood. Pressing the sequence for his own Sonic Pulse; he grinned wickedly as the charge meter flashed on the HUD in front of him. It had never occurred to him to ask how the weapon systems of the Dinozords were powered so when the Tyrannosaurus had been restored, it had come as a mild shock to learn what was charged by the Grid and what wasn't. The seldom-used lasers and energy projectiles were almost all powered directly from the Grid Energy filtered through the Power Crystal while the physical attacks were used to generate enough force for the Sonic Pulse. Normally, the act of rising from the lava pit and racing to the scene was enough to charge the Sonic Pulse but Zordon would have had to activate the system remotely.

Charging towards the stunned monster, the Tyrannosaurus lowered its head and clamped its jaws on the hand holding the remains of the staff. The monster yelled in shock and pain as the teeth shredded its skin and flesh and shattered the staff outright. The Dinozord ripped its head away and allowed the severed limb to drop to the ground; where it exploded in a puff of smoke. Lifting up its short arms, the Dinozord then took its time in raking the claws over the chest of the monster – as if it were lovingly smoothing over the dents and burns the first attack had created. Jason knew he was going slightly overboard but he didn't have a choice in the matter. The Sonic Pulse _needed_ to be charged up and unless Billy could tinker with the internals to allow a quicker charge time, drawn out torture would be the way for future battles.

Pressing down on the triggers that fired the eye lasers, the viewscreen blurred slightly as the energy blasts shot towards the injured monster; knocking it down and pushing it closer to the brink of death. Checking the charge meter, Jason sighed in relief as he saw it had reached a charge of 75%. While it wasn't 100%, the Sonic Pulse would be powered enough to destroy the monster in front of him. If it wasn't…well; he was sure he could think of something. Stepping away from Turbanshell, he moved the control stick to lock on to the monster in front of him. Seeing as it was pretty heavily injured, it didn't look like it would be moving any time soon.

"Sonic Pulse, fire!"

TBC…

AN: I'm gonna guess most people know what the Tyrannosaurus ground breath attack looks like. If not, I put the description in Equestria 101 – Individual Harmony anyway.


	94. Struggling

Chapter 94: Struggling

"All right, this is just weird."

Jason blinked and shook his head for the second time as he looked at himself in the mirror. He had wondered why the Orange Ranger and Billy had slowly backed out of the room when he had suggested a scouting mission…and he now knew the answer. The two Unicorn Rangers and Princess Celestia had advanced on him and begun chanting under their breath, causing their horns to light up. He had felt tendrils of slightly bubbly energy surround him and seep into his body. The sensation was like that of morphing but it felt stranger and more alien. After a bright flash of red-tinged light…he had found himself in his new body. Interestingly, it wasn't the unicorn form that Billy and the Orange Ranger had but an Earth pony form that was dark red with a black mane. Upon seeing him, the Red Equestrian Ranger had noted the similarity between her brother and his transformed state. He was now trying to crane his neck up and around to see what his 'Cutie Mark' was supposed to be.

"You get used to it."

Pausing in his search for his Cutie Mark, Jason turned around to see Weihan and Billy walk – or rather, trot – in. Behind them were the other five Ultra Rangers; each of them having a good laugh over their leader's transformed state. The Orange Ranger seemed to be good-natured about it; although he took some delight in unexpectedly flicking his tail at the Silver Ranger just to hear her surprised squeals. Shaking his head to himself, he wondered exactly what qualified the kids in front of him to be the strongest Rangers in the multiverse. Opening his mouth, he was about to ask that question when a light purple glow enveloped him and he felt his body being scrutinised by an outside force.

"Everything seems to be holding up nicely. I think she improves every time."

Scowling as best as he could at Princess Luna; Jason waited patiently to be lowered back to the ground before shaking himself as if to get rid of the tingling sensation on his skin. The Princess of the Night giggled behind a hoof and nodded at the Orange Ranger. There was something about him that twinged something in her memory, but it was always out of her reach. There were strange images that invaded her dreams as well and the sounds associated with them had made her wish she had never confessed her feelings for her sister to the Orange Ranger. The strange thing was, the images felt so real as well. If she concentrated hard enough, she could feel the tongue and the horn and the penetration…and it left her feeling rather hot and bothered until she had some time to herself. The arrival of the other Ultra Rangers didn't help much as they all kept fairly irregular hours; which meant that her private time was drastically reduced.

"Where are we going anyway? I've done some scouting of Ponyville and one of the times I was about to scout Canterlot, we were hit with that spell. Everfree Forest is a maybe; but I seriously doubt anymore attacks will be in that area."

Weihan closed his mouth and looked around at the others. Jason was glaring at Luna, Luna was staring at him and the other Equestrian Rangers were filing in behind Celestia. He hoped the Princess of the Night wasn't remembering the events of the spell he had just mentioned as if she was…well, things would get messy pretty quickly. The only good thing that would come out of it would be that there wouldn't be any actual documentation of what had happened as Billy had wiped the images from the security cameras. The only images from that time that had been seen by them had come from Creeper and his clone of Nightmare Moon; something that could easily be explained away as being images created by Zedd.

"Ah guess we'll be visitin' Canterlot then. Right outside the door an' plenty of spaces for those Dark Rangers to spring attacks on."

Nodding at Applejack's words, Weihan turned to the Princess when he winced in pain as a strangely familiar voice echoed in his head.

_I am at the final battle. Drakor is here! You must hurry!_

Shaking his head at the strange looks he was receiving from the Rangers around him, he trotted towards the stairs that would lead them outside. If he didn't know better, he would have said the voice was Zordon's. It had the same regal rumble as the floating head's had but it sounded freer and more natural. It didn't seem to be amplified in any way and there seemed to be a slight distortion in the background. He knew he had heard that voice and that message before in the past but couldn't really put his finger on where and when he had heard it. Dismissing the thought, he returned his focus back on the present moment and turned to the human Ultra Rangers.

"Familiarise yourself with the control setup and activate the radar network on sections EVF, PNY, FRE and OCT. If there's a hit in any of those sectors, ping me and I'll see what's going on. Then again, I'll probably be able to see it if there is anything."

Nodding, the others scattered to the various consoles and Billy shot a questioning look his way. Sheepishly rubbing the back of his head with a front leg, he opened his mouth to explain the acronyms as they started down the stairs.

"EVF is the Everfree Forest; PNY is Ponyville; FRE is the area that encompasses the Friendship Express train – I know that's not the real name but the name stuck; and OCT is the area outside Canterlot. Inside Canterlot…well, we'll be scouting the streets so we can see anything. I doubt anything will happen this time though."

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Billy nodded. The acronyms made some amount of sense from a strategic point of view and could be easily called out in the heat of battle but he sorely doubted Zedd would attack outside of Ponyville and Canterlot. Heads turned in their direction as they walked away from the Command Tower and into the bustle of the Main Square. Jason could hear snippets of talk from those around him about the previous battle and the appearance of yet another new Zord. It was fascinating to him how the ponies managed to communicate the news to each other without the technological wonders of his home dimension. As they passed a pale pink Pegasus, they didn't notice it slowly turning its head towards them.

"Rangers…found you."

They stopped dead in their tracks and looked around for eavesdroppers. Fortunately, they had progressed past the busiest areas and the area they were in had been designated as a construction zone. Weihan dropped low to the ground and snorted at the strange Pegasus, although she felt strangely familiar to him. The others also dropped into battle stances and the Main Six Rangers summoned their Morphers. The Pegasus fluttered towards the group slowly but then blinked hard and seemed to look at herself in wonder. She looked up and spoke…and in that split second on noise, three Rangers' hearts plummeted to the ground.

"Please…help me."

"Kim…"

TBC…


	95. Insight to War

Chapter 95: Insight to War

"Is it really you?"

Kim Oliver stared at the blue unicorn in shock. A veil had been lifted from her mind but it was rapidly encroaching on her once more. She looked around her surroundings and wondered exactly what had been done to her. She remembered being pulled into the strange portal with Tommy and the others while the so-called 'Light' stood helpless on the sides. She remembered the hard landing and the shout of surprise from Tommy upon seeing…_him_. Everything was fuzzy after that point but she knew she had seen a strange walking horse, a bipedal lizard thing and various horse-themed beasts roaming the halls. Tommy had been sent out once and then returned saying impossible things that had weakened the fog temporarily. A good dose of magic had put a swift end to the cracks in the spell…until now.

She had been sent into the Capital to gather valuable data on strategic locations for her Master. However, her Master had informed her that her bipedal form would not be looked upon well by the ponies and had transformed her into her current form. Somewhere along the line, the spell had been temporarily lifted…but it was coming back with a vengeance. She had to tell the Rangers what information she knew about their plans for attack but the challenge was finding them. None of the ponies around her knew where the base of the Rangers was located; save for a pale blue filly who had pointed her in the direction of Canterlot Tower. The aura of Morphin energy emanating from the structure was incredible and she waited for the Rangers to appear.

She had missed their arrival by a few seconds but her battle-honed skills had kicked in and she had shadowed their every move and had waited until they had come to a deserted area before making herself known. And then the spell had lifted from her mind and the strange blue unicorn had spoken with a voice she hadn't heard in years. Tears pooled in her eyes as she realised what she had overheard Zedd saying had been the truth. She tried to speak but the well of emotions kept her from making more than a few off-kilter sounds. She watched Billy rise from his battle stance and peer at her face closely.

"Kim? Is that you? What…what happened to you and why are you in Equestria?"

She shook her head to try and shake the evil that threatened to envelop her once more. The Orange unicorn stepped forward and his eyes seemed to peer into her very soul. Shying away from the intense gaze, her head swung towards the Red Earth pony and her eyes widened as she made the connection in her mind. So the strange Red Ranger in the last battle hadn't been a solid hologram but was the real deal. She wondered if he had been transported by Zedd to act as a sleeper agent but dismissed the possibility. Opening her mouth, she began to speak.

"I don't know. We were in Angel Grove with Adam, Tanya and Rocky and the Mystic Mother had sent three of her Rangers to help defend against some strange magical after-effects that Tommy was having. At the park, Tommy began shaking and convulsing and we were hit with a massive headache and then we were sucked up by a portal of sorts. Then…we saw Zedd, but Zedd died in the Z Wave! And he said that we would be the next Dark Rangers. What is going on?"

Weihan covered his eyes with a front hoof and groaned. The situation had just gone from bad to worse if Kim wasn't acting. Zedd would be more than likely watching the entire exchange or would know when his spell had failed and would probably be taking measures to retrieve his lost Ranger before she said something she wasn't supposed to. Drawing on the Ultra Power, he scanned the area above them for magical traces and pre-emptively set up a temporary magic barrier around Canterlot. Whatever information this version of Kim knew; they needed to know what it was to handle the next attack. However, he was an unknown entity to her and she wouldn't spill any information to him or any of the Main Six Rangers.

"Kim, what you saw was real. Lord Zedd has invaded this dimension and has been trying to conquer it to regain his empire once more. I, along with Dimitria, came to this dimension to create Rangers to combat Zedd. We have been aided by many other Rangers and we have gained strength and momentum against Zedd. What do you know about the plans for the next attack?"

Kim shook her head to clear it. The veil had lifted again and seemed to be staying away this time…but it was still present at the back of her mind. A glance at the Orange unicorn made her stifle a gasp of surprise as his eyes and horn was glowing lightly. In her heart, she knew that he was keeping the darkness away and was grateful to him…but also knew it couldn't last forever. Looking down at her hooves, she pawed at the ground as her mind raced through what she had heard on her way out of Zedd's Cavern; yet there was something about it that set her on edge. She had seen the Ninjazords and Shogunzords during her weapon practices and had absently wondered if they were the real thing or not. The battle in the Ninjazords had removed the doubt from her mind completely and she had seen the humanoid Griffin working on a strange wolf-shaped object that reminded her greatly of the old Falconzord remote.

"What? Dimitria…but she's sided with Zedd! I saw her in the Cavern talking with him and planning to power up the Zords in some way! If she powers up both sets with her energy…Zedd will be unstoppable! There are two sets – somehow Zedd found the locations of the Ninja and Shogunzords and brought them with him. You must destroy the Zords when they arrive in two days!"

Jason shared a worried glance with the Orange Ranger and sighed. He had seen the power of the Shogunzords and really didn't want to have to go toe-to-toe with them in his Dinozord as he knew what the outcome would be. He had also heard how strong Dimitria was as well and knew that if she was using her own energy to power the Zords…he paused and tapped his chin with a hoof. Something about that didn't seem correct…he knew that no matter what type they were; Zords required an ungodly amount of energy to move and operate and the Dark Rangers didn't seem like they had Power Coins to tap into whatever Grid Zedd had created.

"The Shogunzords? Zedd has them?"

Billy inhaled sharply as his mind raced. The Shogunzords had an unprecedented amount of destructive potential that had been barely tapped in the short time they used them. He had thought about converting them into the next set of Zords but careful experimentation had discouraged that idea from his mind completely. During the move to the Power Chamber, he had lost track of where they had ended up and had written them off as lost in the move. It had crossed his mind also to look for their location prior to contacting the Sensei's at the Ninja Academy…but that would have meant digging through Zordon's Archives. That wouldn't have been a very smart thing for him to have done, given his dislike of Zordon after the Countdown.

"In two days we will attack. That's what Zedd said to the humanoid horse; two days to finish the Wolf Remote and infuse them with the power. Crush him with his friends and make it impossible for him to fight back…that's what he said. You…you have two days to prepare. Billy…please stop us!"

Weihan grunted in strain as the first tendril of evil broke through his shield. More cracks began to form in the barrier despite the Ultra Energy he was using to sustain it and he fell to his knees as beads of sweat began to run down his face. Fluttershy looked at the straining Ranger and something twinged at the back of her mind. She had seen that face before but didn't know when or where it had been…just that there was a pleasurable sensation that went along with it; the same one that crept into her dreams from time to time. She nervously looked around as his form flickered between his unicorn and human forms and crept closer to Twilight for some protection.

"Can't…hold it much longer…too much strain. Kim; is there any more information for us?"

Kim looked at the glowing unicorn and tried to fight against the encroaching darkness. It would be a good bet that once the darkness reclaimed her; it wouldn't release its grip until the source was destroyed…or she was. Opening her mouth to speak, she heard something overhead shattering and knew there was only a few seconds of freedom left.

"We will fight until one side is destroyed."

TBC…


	96. First Sign

Chapter 96: First Sign

He woke up to the sound of birds.

Smiling softly at the normal sounds, Weihan walked over to the window that overlooked Canterlot and reflected over the events of the past two days. After Twilight's unexpected unlocking of the Elemental Zeo Armour in the Training Room, Billy had requested that each of the ponies attempt to summon their own version to see what the possibilities could be. Apart from the purple unicorn, the only other Rangers to have summoned the Elemental Armour were Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Pinkie had declared that she didn't really need the armour as she would be fine…or if he went with her long and somewhat confusing answer:

"I can summon it but not really as my Element is the Element of Randomness! All right, it isn't really but why not? Having the Element of 'stretching' didn't seem right to him but he said that was my element control waaaaaay back in that 101 chapter! He even had to look up that chapter while writing for this!"

Rarity on the other hand…the unicorn had actively resisted the summoning of her Elemental Zeo Armour in the Training Room; citing that when she brought it out, it would be seen by everyone in the area for the first time. He had also trained the Ultra Rangers and refined their abilities of energy summoning and manipulation. It was in one of these sessions that Will had summoned his Assault Armour and had almost blown a hole in the wall. The Assault Armour of the White Ranger was interesting to look at and compare against his. The chest piece was stylised in the form of his Thunderzord…a design that brought soft chuckles from Jason, Weihan, Billy and Twilight. It was an alicorn with a horn that housed a drill sabre. Wings protruded from the back of the armour and allowed limited flight capabilities while hoof-like attachments formed on his feet to give him access to more powerful kicks.

Rudimentary weapon testing had shown a great deal of weapons stored in the head of the alicorn, including heat beams, ice balls and even strange spherical bolts of what could only be described as hard light. The horn could be pulled out and attached to his left arm to act as the drill sabre and the resulting gap was a turret from which a large blast of energy could be fired. Once activated, the replacement of the drill sabre was the only thing that could stop the beam from being fired. The stored energy would then divert to the other weapon systems to provide a power boost that lasted several minutes in length. If the beam was fired from the chest, the drill sabre would change into a short handled spear that could be thrown or used as a makeshift jousting lance.

It had also been during this time that Billy had finally dismantled the plasma tube in the Command Room and had made a startling discovery concerning Dimitria's alliance with Zedd. Removing the outer crystal shell of the tube had activated Dimitria's personal logs and they had informed him of the deception that the Inquiran had put them through…since they arrived on Equestria. There were also rudimentary notes on a supposed 'Master Plan' that was supposed to have crippled them while Dimitria and Zedd destroyed them; thankfully it had been stopped in its tracks by the appearance of the Ultra Rangers. Unfortunately, the first part of her plan had bee pulled off successfully when she had left, which meant Zedd had a complete analysis of the power ranges of the Rangers. There was still a small light at the end of the tunnel as this would mean that Zedd wouldn't know about the Elemental Zeo Armour or the other Assault Armour modes of the Ultra Rangers.

He had also had a short chat with Billy about his future role with the ponies. Although he hadn't meant to, the Orange Ranger felt like he was drastically taking the spotlight away from Billy with regard to mentoring duties. The Midnight Blue Ranger had agreed with him but had also stated that the world of the Ultra Rangers was new to him and he had allowed Weihan to take the spotlight in order to learn more about it. They had agreed that after the battle with the Dark Rangers was over, the only time that the Ultra Rangers would be called upon was if there was a problem that absolutely couldn't be solved by Billy, the Princesses or throwing large amounts of explosive energy at it.

Stretching his arms over his head, he began doing a few warm-up exercises. If Kim's information was to be trusted, Zedd would make his move sometime in the next few hours; presumably via a siege of monsters or something like that. All the stops would have to be pulled out and Spike was even going to participate in the battle. Shining Light hadn't been seen over the past few days but Celestia said she was working on something that could theoretically purify the Dark Rangers of Zedd's influence. If it could be done, that would give them an advantage against the remaining forces of Zedd. However, he wasn't willing to bet on it from the word "Go" and would fight his hardest against the monsters thrown at him. He also had a nagging feeling that the siege was going to prepare him for something in the future…but he didn't know what.

"You're up early. What's the game plan for today?"

Glancing behind him at Rachelle, he shrugged and continued stretching. Once he had considerably warmed up, he summoned his Raptor Sabre and began slashing at the air in front of him. Rolling out of the way of an imagined attack, he countered in turn and concentrated his energy to flow out from his palms. Thin trickles of sweat rolled down his face as he continued sparring against an imaginary opponent while the Silver Ranger watched. Flipping away from the blonde Ranger, he focused hard on the battle in his head and tried not to stare too much at her nightclothes – or lack thereof. Not being able to go home and pack properly had caused the Ultra Rangers to constantly wear the same clothes for the past few days. However, sleeping had brought up a rather interesting problem as the nights were rather warm.

The girls had adapted rather quickly as they had been given a room to share. Will had been given his own room but had requested that it not be adjoining to the others…which meant that Weihan had the interesting problem of having half-naked females traipsing through his room at rather odd hours. When he was talking with Fluttershy or Applejack, it wasn't really an issue but when he was on his own…well; things got a tad hard. Shaking his head at the unintentional pun; he brought up his Sabre in a high block and brought his arms up and around in the pretence of breaking a blade lock. Rachelle, in particular, seemed to delight in walking in on him in varying states of undress just to see his reactions.

He was seriously starting to consider sleeping with a bucket of ice water next to him.

Finishing his Sabre kata, he dismissed the blade and exhaled slowly. There was a tension in the air that – for once – didn't come from having Rachelle in the room. It was almost like everything around him, from the walls to the motes of dust floating past his face, was collectively holding their breaths for what was to come. Tearing his eyes away from the scenery outside, he brushed past Rachelle and stepped outside his room. Taking in a few breaths in an effort to calm himself down; he walked to the Command Room and stood in front of the window overlooking the Everfree Forest.

"Something…something's coming."

The words were barely out of his mouth when a large column of light erupted from the farthest reaches of the Forest, sending a large flock of birds flying into the air. The room behind him was instantly filled with the sounds of teleportation and running feet as the Rangers teleported from their homes to witness the first signs of the attack. Billy glanced once at the light and ran to the Scanners and Radar, punching in commands that caused the screens to drop and ascend from their concealed positions. The Midnight Blue Ranger took one look at the images on the screen and swore loudly, causing all eyes to look at him. His face took on a look of deadly seriousness; which translated to his voice.

"We need to prepare. _Now._"

TBC…


	97. Overwhelmed

Chapter 97: Overwhelmed

It was chaos in Canterlot.

After taking one look at the images on the screen, the Rangers had sprung into action like a well oiled machine. Everyone had taken up positions outside the walls of Canterlot and had been briefing the guards on what to expect when the first wave had come. Billy had been expecting that Zedd would lead the attack with the Dark Rangers first and foremost as a sort of psychological battle. What he hadn't expected were the seemingly endless waves of Z-Putties that had broke against their combined defences like breaking waves. A hasty communication to the ponies had spread the word of their weakness rather quickly and the tide was slowly turning. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were taking turns spotting targets from the air and had relayed some strangely worrying information. A little way away from the Z-Putties was a strangely feline beast that was clad from head to toe in shining gold armour. Twin feathery wings burst from its back and it brandished an ornately decorated sword. Whoever it was had been standing to the side with Gilda, Discord and the Dark White Ranger to oversee the distribution of the grunts.

He would have been concerned with the apparent return of Goldar to Zedd's side had he not had other concerns to deal with. Although the Z-Putties were still as weak as they had been all those years ago, they still posed some amount of difficulty to the civilians who had been caught out in the open. A few accidental destructions of the Putties seemed to have a morale-boosting effect on the populace…but the massive numbers of the grunts still overwhelmed them. There were also little to no Z-Centaurs in the wave of grunts which caused him to think that Zedd was saving them up for later…or that he had used the energy to ensure that the 'correct' Goldar had been resurrected.

"Heads up!"

Flipping away from the shout instinctively, Billy blinked in bewilderment as three slightly singed Z-Putties crashed on the ground in front of him. As they disintegrated, he looked over from the direction they had come from…only to see Pinkie Pie using Twilight as a hoof-cranked repeating flamethrower. Standing next to them, the Orange Ranger was apparently trying to calm down a blue maned unicorn stallion and was absently throwing punches at the Z-Putties around him. Fighting the urge to break down in laughter, Billy summoned his Element Blade Blaster and began blasting the grunts around him. He could hear the grunts and yells of the other Rangers over the Ranger-wide communication network as well as the two Princesses in the Command Tower designating targets for the closest Rangers.

"First wave seems to be almost over, guys. Second wave coming soon…what the hay? What is with all those monsters?"

Jason looked up from the dissolving Putty at Rainbow's comment. Grunts, he could handle in his sleep. Monsters on the other hand were an entirely different story. Over the past few weeks he had been in Equestria, Billy and the Princesses had been getting him up to speed about what Zedd was now capable of. He hadn't really accepted that Zedd could be a serious threat to them until the first battle he had been in…when he had seen Tommy on the side of Evil once more. Lifting his Power Sword to block a clumsy punch, the Red Morphin Ranger reached down to his belt and withdrew his Blade Blaster from its holster. Swiftly converting it to its Blade Mode, he held both weapons in front of him and readied himself for the coming storm.

When the first monster broke through the lines of Putties, Jason fought the urge to roll his eyes. It seemed that Zedd was tossing all originality out the window and was recycling monsters from previous battles. Raising his Power Sword, he channelled Morphin energy into the blade and slashed it across the stomach of Primator. The ape-like monster howled in pain and flew back – just in time for Pipebrain to take its place. The tubular monster extended its tubes from its head and Jason rolled out of the way as they snaked over his head. Converting the Blade Mode to the Blaster Mode, Jason blasted the tube tentacles in rapid succession and flipped over the implements to stand on Pipebrain's shoulders. Painfully aware that he was breaking every self-imposed rule he had set on himself as the Red Ranger, Jason viciously slashed his Power Sword at the roots of the tubes – severing them from the monster's head. Sparks flew from the creature's head and Jason leapt off his perch. Rolling along the ground as Pipebrain exploded in defeat, he found himself face to face with a transformed Primator. Clenching his teeth together, he ran at the monster with his Sword raised.

"Stand still you bloody horse!"

Applejack chuckled to herself as she leapt away from a giant green lizard monster that had roughly pushed aside the humanoid golems surrounding her. Her Buckin' Cannons had proved to be very useful in dispatching a revived Stag Beetle monster and had even churned up the ground around her; making stable movement for bipeds very difficult. Rolling away from a blast of fire from its mouth, she decided to try another tactic. Closing her eyes, she channelled the swirling energy of her Element Crystal into her front legs and reared back in the air. Snapping open her eyes, she slammed her hooves on the ground and watched the resulting energy shockwave bowl the monster and the remaining grunts over. Picking her targets, she blasted a few more grunts with her Element Blaster before whirling around and ducking between the legs of something that looked like a walking flower. Sending a charged blast up at the main 'body', she smiled under her helmet as the creature burst into flame.

"Incoming!"

Rarity stood back to back with Will as the monsters charged. The White Ultra Ranger was relentless in his attacks with the Allosaur Pulsar as spheres of green and white lasers blasted from the rotating barrel of Rarity's Gem Vulcan. He very much wanted to pull out the Assault Armour and take out the monsters around him, but Weihan had wanted them to experience a knock-down-drag-out fight as the Orange Ranger had a strange feeling it would be needed in the near future. Somehow, he didn't doubt that…and to be honest, he had been badly lacking in terms of hand-to-hand experience and had wanted a room to himself to practice his (admittedly) sloppy moves. Leaping over the head of the Invenusable Flytrap, he sent a pulse of white energy into the monster and kicked it into a group of Putties that had just arrived on the scene. Barely blinking an eye as the monster exploded in a green and red fireball, he was already drawing a bead on Magnetbrain in an attempt to neutralise its magnetic rays. The magnet-themed monster shot a ray at him that made him lose his grip on his Allosaur Pulsar and sent him to his knees.

Seeing the White Ranger in trouble, Rarity galloped over from her one-sided battle with Silver Horns and charged her horn with as much magic as she could. Leaping over Magnetbrain's head, she lashed out with her rear hooves and twisted in mid-air so her head was parallel with his. Unleashing the stream of magic coupled with a blast from her Gem Vulcan, Magnetbrain's head violently exploded – the rest of his body following suit. Retrieving his fallen weapon, Will nodded his thanks at the Green Ranger and turned to his next opponent.

"Well, this is fun!"

Weihan rolled his eyes at Rachelle's sarcasm-laced comment as he slashed his Sabre up to intercept the key-dagger of the strange Key monster. Diving over its head, he rolled away from the ground as the strange monster scooped up a handful of burning embers and threw them at his head. Powering through the rather morbid attack, he stabbed his Sabre through the monster's stomach and kicked it away into the sea of monsters yet to be destroyed. Scowling at the ashy remains of the Tombstone Monster, he looked up just in time to be knocked over by Rachelle. The two Rangers collapsed in a heap and Weihan found himself having to think of entirely different things to stop _those_ thoughts from overwhelming his mind. For her part, Rachelle seemed to not be aware of where she had landed and was trying to move around to stop a large object from digging into her rear.

"Ah, Rachelle…you all right?"

Looking behind her, a sly grin crossed over Rachelle's face as she finally realised what the object poking into her was and nodded once. Mentally chastising herself for thinking those thoughts about her leader – and in the middle of a battle – she sprang up in a flash, giggling as she heard the low groan of protest that came from under his helmet. Shaking her head, she summoned her Ankylo Hammer and swung it at the advancing crowd of monsters. As the war hammer smashed against the body of a strange flasher monster, she glanced back to see the Orange Ranger on his feet; albeit moving a bit stiffly.

"You all right?"

"For the time being, yeah. Maybe we need to pull out the big guns."

Wrenching those thoughts out of his mind, he channelled fire into his blade and leapt over the heads of the grunts and monsters around him. Landing in a relatively clear area, his fingers activated a hidden button that energised the blade and he began to spin on the spot. Flashes of familiarity rushed through his head and he closed his eyes to avoid becoming dizzy from the spinning. He guessed that the only good thing about using this finisher was that no matter where he flung the blade, there was a good chance it would hit a monster. Finally gaining enough momentum, his eyes snapped open and he flung his energised Sabre into the crowd surrounding him. Tracking the direction of his blade briefly and channelling fire into his fists, he began slamming his fists into the monsters around him as he stalked in the direction of his discarded weapon. Ducking as Centiback threw its football at his head; he summoned a drill composed of blazing energy and hurled it at the bug monster.

Taking a few seconds to retrieve his Sabre from the still-moving body of a Face Stealer clone, he looked around him at the chaos. The Equestrian Rangers were barely holding on and, to his consternation, they had been pushed back from the walls without them knowing it. Bringing up a top-down map of Canterlot, he could see that they had been pushed past the first and second defensive lines and were barely holding onto the last line of defence…and the Dark Rangers hadn't shown up yet. Blinking as a body fell to the ground in front of him; he shook his head and blasted the monsters around him with fire to allow Fluttershy to slowly stand up. From the looks of her uniform, she had been in a particularly rough battle that she had barely scraped out of. Scorch marks dotted her uniform and the metallic coverings over her wings and tail were slightly melted. Helping to thin the crowd of monsters with her Element Blaster, she looked up to the Orange Ranger and opened her mouth.

"Are we going to survive this?"

He had no answer.

TBC…


	98. Forced Choice

Chapter 98: Forced Choice

Five hours later and the situation had drastically changed…for the worse.

The only good thing that could be said was that the civilians in the Monster Shelters were safe. The reinforced armour would hold for a few weeks at least and there were stores of food for months. However, the rest of the situation was extremely dire. Zedd's monster flood had thinned out to a few monsters here and there…which would have been good news; if it wasn't for the twelve robotic animals that had suddenly shown up. Even the Wonderbolts couldn't do much except fly to their deaths against the Dark Ninjazords. Spitfire and Soarin' had to step in and stop any more pegasi from having delusions of grandeur. The Rangers were still fighting desperately but they were at their limits. The Ultra Rangers had pulled out their Assault Armours and had decimated the majority of the monster population in a few decisive blasts. Billy and Jason were battling against a somehow revived Goldar and Rainbow Dash and Applejack were barely beating back Gilda.

"No! You can't be serious!"

Taking a short breather in the Command Tower, Weihan lifted his head wearily as Shining Light floated through the doors, followed by a distraught Celestia. Twilight was closely following the Princess as well but the Purple Ranger looked incredibly tired. Catching the eye of the Purple Ranger, he waved her over and slowly stroked the unicorn's mane while keeping an eye on the situation unfolding in front of him. Shining Light was now accessing the console that had been inside Dimitria's plasma tube and was scrolling through the multitude of information with a strange look in her eyes. Jerking his head up at a robotic cry, he glanced out the window just in time to see Rachelle's Elephant Seal Zord slam into the White Shogunzord – barely moving it back an inch. The Silver Ultra Ranger wasn't the only Ranger in a Zordlike vehicle. Spike was piloting his Dragon Jet in its Jet Mode and was using its sonic emitters against the Crane Ninjazord. So far, the Crane Ninjazord had the advantage of agility but its speed had been slowing dramatically.

"That is the only way we can win against this! The Purification Ritual is the most powerful spell that I can cast without being drained! Even you would be drained and vulnerable after the spell! Equestria can't lose you!"

"But you'll die! As Grand Monarch of Equestria, I cannot allow such a thing to happen!"

"You forget, Celestia…I'm already dead."

Shocked silence settled over the scene as Celestia tried frantically to process that thought. It was true that Shining Light's physical body had been destroyed as Blackened Heart and that Shining Light was slowly returning to the Ether but she was still her oldest friend other than Luna and her secret lover as well. But to use the Purification Ritual was an incredibly risky decision in the middle of a heated battle. On the other hoof, it was an incredibly risky move no matter where it was performed but that was beside the point. She opened her mouth to protest again but was cut off by Twilight's voice.

"What is this Purification Ritual?"

Shining Light paused in her scrolling of information and looked at the purple unicorn. The poor child looked thoroughly exhausted but determined to see things through. Nodding at the Orange Ranger as he made his leave to rejoin the battle, she gathered her thoughts before speaking.

"The Purification Ritual is an ancient spell that even predates the work of Starswirl the Bearded. It is said that the same beings that brought the Lost Element to the Dragons left behind a powerful spell to completely rid a being or beings of evil corruption. The only drawback is that the energy required would more than likely drain all of the magical ability out of one who attempted the spell…unless he or she gave up his or her life force in the process. As such, it was relegated to the category of extreme worst-case scenario spells. And this situation _is_ an extreme worst-case scenario."

Almost as if to punctuate her point, a massive explosion rang from outside. Twilight nodded at the Earth Pony and thought it over in her head. Shining Light was no more than an energy being and, as such, had access to potentially more energy than Celestia or Luna could use safely. Once she 'died' she would go back into the energy of the world and, as such, would always be with them. On the other hoof, she didn't know how she would react if any of her friends stated they had a solution that could rid the world of evil and essentially kill them in the process. What made it worse was that Celestia had only the past few weeks to spend with a friend she hadn't seen in a very long time. The only issue with wanting to spend time with Shining Light was that she would eventually vanish into the Ether; but that way would be slower and have more of a chance to say goodbye. She looked as Shining Light wafted over to Celestia and placed one of her front legs over the alicorn's shoulders.

"I wish for nothing more than to stay here with you forever…but I can't do that. The past few weeks have been wonderful and incredible but you must let me go…for the sake of Equestria. I will always be with you but where I am to go…there is no place for you."

Celestia nodded once, still unable to accept the harsh truth in front of her. She was the most powerful being in all of Equestria…and yet she was powerless to stop her friend from throwing her time away. She already knew that there was no real way that the battle outside could be won without outside intervention but still…

"Is there something that I can do to help?"

Shining Light pondered the question. Celestia had seemingly accepted the fact that the Purification Ritual was the only way the Dark Rangers would be freed but still wanted to contribute somehow. It made some degree of sense on a morale level if the Princess of the Day was seen fighting against the hordes of Zedd but she would be an easy target for the Dark Rangers and their massive machines. She was about to dissuade the idea from the mind of the Princess when the Purple Ranger spoke up.

"We can cover you and the Princesses if you go outside. I'm sure it can't be easy to cast the spell if the targets are all over the place. We'll herd them in one spot and the spell can be cast."

Shining Light smiled and felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders. It seemed Equestria really was in good hooves if a unicorn was able to come up with an idea that had completely slipped her mind. Judging by the look on Celestia's face, she was extremely proud of her student as well. Nodding at the Purple Ranger, Princess Celestia summoned her Battle Armour that she hadn't worn in more than a thousand years. The golden tiara on her head was replaced with a silvery helm that encompassed the entire top half of her head. A shimmering sheen sparkled on her horn as the Royal Alicorn accessed the Battle Spells she had carefully tucked away in a corner of her mind. Her golden collar didn't change much but the sides around the diamond in the centre fanned out to protect her shoulders and upper legs from attacks from above. Lastly, the golden horseshoes on her hooves transformed into battle-worn steel boots with the two on her front legs growing spikes. Shining Light smiled at the armoured Celestia with fond remembrance as her mind was cast back to the march on Discord's Palace.

"Sister; are we to go?"

Turning her head from the sight of an armoured Celestia, Twilight gasped and charged her horn with magic at the sight in front of her…before relaxing as Princess Luna stepped out of the shadows. The Princess of the Night was clad in armour that was extremely similar to her Nightmare Moon alter-ego; the only difference was that it was a darker shade of blue and slightly more simplistic in design. Unlike Celestia's armour, Luna's had slightly batlike wing protectors as well as a strange mace-like object attached to the end of her tail. Celestia nodded appreciatively at her sister's armour and heaved a small sigh of resignation. Maybe this was all for the best.

"There is one more piece of the puzzle that needs to be unlocked. I have sensed that the one called Spike brought it back from Draconis and keeps it on his person for reasons unknown to me. No once but its true bearer can wield this power as it is rumoured in the dark corners of the world to be something that transforms you into that which your enemies fear the most."

Shining Light looked around the room and her eyes rested on the one she had sensed would wield the Source. The Purple Ranger pointed a hoof to herself in utter bewilderment and Shining Light nodded. The voices around her stated that she was the Chosen One and she would bring peace to the world…and bring love back into the life of her beloved. The energy pony nodded once and opened her mouth once more.

"You have been chosen by the Dragonfire Gem…"

TBC…


	99. Metamorphosis

Chapter 99: Metamorphosis

He wasn't so sure they could hold out much longer.

Twirling both halves of the Acceptance Lance, Billy slashed the blades across the stomach of Lipsyncher before ducking under a rising strike from Goldar. The gold-plated monkey had all but sidestepped Jason's attacks and was focusing on him. He had sent Twilight to the Command Tower after seeing her take a particularly nasty blow from the Mirror Maniac and had seen a few Ultra Rangers summon their Ninjazords to attack the Zords of the Dark Rangers. Spike had finally managed to pin down the Crane Ninjazord and had disabled its engines with a well placed blast from a flamethrower. It was currently sitting pretty inside a Capture Sphere while the Dragon Jet was battling with the Bear Ninjazord. He had a strange feeling that Zedd wasn't present on the battlefield but was dictating the troop movements from the back lines. There was also something that was bothering him more than the random monsters that kept breaking through the ranks…

"It is so good to be back alive and attacking you Rangers! Lord Zedd has given me life again and I will use his gift to the fullest!"

Goldar had to shut up since spying the Midnight Blue Ranger. Jason's appearance had garnered a shrug from the warrior before the fight had begun. From what Billy could gather from the ramblings of the monkey in front of him, Zedd had saved some of Goldar's 'sand' from the Z-Wave and had placed it in a subspace dimension with other odds and ends collected from his top warrior over the years. How a being of energy could physically grip sand was a mystery to the Midnight Blue Ranger but he doubted Goldar knew how it was possible either. A powerful source of energy had then resurrected the warrior with his memories intact and Zedd had briefed him on the new enemy and what they were capable of. Switching on the energy scanners around his armour, Billy scanned Goldar's body and nodded to himself as the results were transmitted directly to the Command Tower's main computers.

Kicking the gold armoured warrior away for the millionth time, Billy looked around him at the utter devastation. The only buildings still standing were the entrances to the Monster Shelters, the gates to the Palace and the outer walls and the guardhouses. The blue maned unicorn he had seen arguing with Weihan earlier was repelling the monsters around him with blasts of magic from his horn. So far, it seemed that the unicorn was barely holding out by himself as he blasted, bucked and stomped the creatures around him. A thunderous roar above him made him roll out of the way a split second before the foot of the Black Shogunzord landed near him. The massive machine was fighting hand-to-hoof against the Apple Flyer as he had seen Gilda dispatched again a few moments earlier. Doing a mental checklist in his mind, he groaned as he realised that the city was dangerously close to being lost, unless something could be done to turn the tide. Jabbing his Lance at a charging Goldar, he seriously doubted that would happen anytime soon.

"Eat this!"

Billy froze at the sound and blinked as two streams of magic blasted on both sides of him. They zeroed in on Goldar and impacted against the chest of the warrior, throwing him back nearly to the holes in the outer walls. Shaking himself out of his stupor, Billy half-turned to see ponies that looked like the Royal Alicorns charge past him to throw themselves into the fight against Zedd's forces. Doing a double take at the Cutie Marks on their flanks, he gaped openly as he saw the united front the Princesses were putting up. A blast of magic one way was coupled with a magic infused buck the other way or a whack from the mace on the end of Luna's tail. It seemed that the two Princesses were actually having fun on the battlefield and were actively playing with the remaining monsters before brutally beating them down.

"This isn't good. We need to get the Dark Rangers out of their machines."

Blinking at the voice, he looked down to see Shining Light's head protruding from his chest in a rather disturbing way. The energy pony seemed to not notice or care as she slid out of his chest effortlessly and looked up at the Zord battles going on around her. Stowing his Acceptance Lance away, Billy pulled out the Tricera Cannon and started firing it into the thinning monster crowd around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Jaws of Destruction monster violently explode as it was blasted by the magic of the Alicorns and he chuckled under his breath as the Pursehead monster was stepped on by the strangely robotic Wolf Ninjazord. He also saw Twilight leaping into the air, blasting streams of purple flame from her summoned Magic Launchers, before tucking into a tight roll to avoid the seemingly random whips of the Frogzord's tongue. He opened his mouth to reply when he saw the Frogzord being hit with what looked like pink-tinged ooze. Following the firing line back to its source, he wasn't surprised to see the Laughter Harmonyzord attacking the Dark Ninja and Shogun Zords around it with Pinkie's unique blend of chaos and mayhem.

"Well, that's one way of doing it…"

Stifling a chuckle, Princess Celestia rammed her horn through a strange blue and white version of Pipebrain before lashing out with her front hooves to shatter Scatterbrain's reflecting prism. Muttering ancient and arcane words under her breath, her horn glowed twice with reddish-yellow energy before four seeking bolts flew forth from the tip. Within seconds, they had struck and destroyed Cannontop, Photomare, Needlenose and Flame Head; engulfing the area around them in a massive explosion that barely rattled the doors of the Monster Shelters. She ducked her head to allow Luna's mace to swing through the air to impact against the chest of the Dark Red Ranger. A rather simple energy binding ensured that the Evil Ranger wouldn't be going anywhere for the time being as the Dark Apezord slumped against its treacle-coated bonds. Dragging the struggling Ranger to a clear area, the Princess of the Night smirked at the incredulous stares around her…yet the smirk turned to horror as she saw a volley of arrows fly towards the unprotected lower back of her sister.

Opening her mouth to shout a warning, she skidded to a stop and blinked as an orange and white stream of energy obliterated the arrows before they could come close to her sister. Following the energy back to its source, she gaped as she saw the heavily armoured and armed Orange Ranger nod once before throwing an unconscious Dark Yellow Ranger on top of the Dark Red Ranger. She shook her head in awe as orange energy blades snapped out of gauntlets on his wrists before he dove head first into a throng of monsters. Turning away from the carnage to follow, her eyes drifted up to the rather strange sight of a lifeless Bear Ninjazord seemingly resting peacefully under what looked like a rather thick and heavy chocolate sauce. Weakly grinning to herself as her stomach rumbled, she made a mental note to not look at the…interesting results of Pinkie's Zord Attacks.

"Give it up, Ranger! You will never defeat me!"

Jason wondered if fate always threw him against an Evil Tommy…or if it was his own dumb luck. However, unlike the previous encounters, there wasn't a readily-available solution that was coming to him. Tightening his grip on his Power Sword, he rationalised that the best way to disable Tommy was by knocking him out…however that was easier said than done. Their blades locked together as they fought for supremacy and the total domination over their opponent. Jason wished that he had access to the later Metallic Armour of the later Rangers but he had to make do with what equipment he had. Kicking Tommy's chest, the two Rangers broke apart as the Falcon Ninjazord crashed to the ground a few feet away – covered in something that looked strangely like melted marshmallow. Waiting for his opponent to make the next move, Jason saw the Dark Pink Ranger drop out of the cockpit and run towards the Laughter Harmonyzord…only to be stopped by the Purple and Brown Ultra Rangers. A few swift moves later and the Dark Pink Ranger was being added to the pile of unconscious Rangers on top of who he guessed was Rocky.

A swipe from Tommy's Not-Saba made him step back and bring down the Power Sword on the blade as it made a second slice. Leaping over a laser blast from the blade, Jason blinked once as he realised most of his strategies hadn't even taken into account the fact that Not-Saba would have the ability to shoot magic or lasers. Mentally chastising himself for unintentionally letting his guard down, he channelled Morphin Energy into the blade of his Power Sword and waited for the right moment to strike – unaware that his finger had brushed against a concealed button on the handle. Shifting his stance subtly, he relaxed the muscles in his arms and exhaled slowly. When the attack came, he saw it coming a mile away and acted on pure instinct. Tommy rushed at him with his blade held above his head…which left his chest exposed and unprotected. Allowing the Power to control his body, he swung the flat side of the Sword at his friend's chest to send large bolts of Red energy rippling over the stark white armour. The Dark White Ranger flew back and slammed into a retreating Black Dark Ranger; allowing Princess Luna to rope them up and deposit them on the pile.

"Rangers! We will not fall so easily! Today will be the day that you die!"

Shining Light glanced up from her preparation of the Ritual as Discord bore down on her. While the humanoid horse wouldn't be able to physically harm her body, he could surely disrupt the process and even interfere with the purification process. Next to him was the golden armoured warrior that she had heard Billy refer to as 'Goldar' and the strangely simian creature was lifting up a crackling blade of energy. Twin bursts of magic from the Princesses smashed into the two creatures and sent them stumbling back into the last few Z-Putties that remained. Nodding her thanks, Shining Light prepared to perform the Ritual when she noted that she needed one last boost of energy to ensure it wouldn't be stopped midway through. Her voice sounded over the sounds of continuing battle as it reached the pony she wanted.

"Twilight…it's time."

The Purple Ranger nodded once, even though Shining Light wouldn't be able to see her, and concentrated hard. In a purple and red flare of light, the Dragonfire Gem materialised on her front left leg. Fresh from a break at the Command Tower, Spike stared at the last of the Spik Treasures and opened his mouth to speak when Twilight lifted it into the air and inhaled slowly. Spike checked around him for a safe place and dove behind a rather large pile of debris. The next two words echoed through the battlefield and tipped the balance of the battle.

"Dragonfire Ranger!"

TBC…


	100. Go Go Power Rangers

AN: In the beginning of September 2011, I began writing a story called The Rangers of Equestria. This is its 100th chapter. Holy crap…milestone hit on 30 May 2012. Here's to 100 more chapters (though I'm hoping to finish this story by Ch 150. At least that's the plan).

Chapter 100: Go Go Power Rangers

It was like the end of the world.

A blazing column of orange, red and purple light exploded out from the Purple Ranger and reached high into the heavens. Animals and creatures all over the world saw the light and reacted in different ways. Watching over a recovering Drakonis, Drakor cheered as loudly as his age allowed while Dryken rolled his eyes at his father and nodded in approval. On the island of Deinos Terra Firma, zebra herds gathered to watch the rising column of light and fire as Zecora's father chuckled under his breath as he finished reading his daughter's words. Under the cliffs of Canterlot, the Griffon clan that Gilda had once been a part of trembled in anticipation of the coming battle and in a small part of the Everfree Forest; Lord Zedd stared at the light as the first tendrils of fear crept into his body for the first time in millennia.

In the centre of the column of light, Twilight could feel an incredible amount of power pulsing through her body. She could sense the attempts of Shining Light to capture at least a small amount of it to protect the Ritual of Purification and attempted to send more her way. A grunt of pain escaped her lips as a ripple of…something spread through her body and she began to change. Her legs grew longer and her hind hooves were reshaped painlessly while her front legs rotated outwards and grew slightly longer as well. A golden scaled breastplate materialised over her chest as her tail seemingly vanished insider her Ranger Armour. Silver claw-shaped gauntlets slid over her front hooves and she watched in amazement as the hooves themselves began to change into hands. A check below her confirmed that she was becoming humanoid and she briefly wondered if this was what happened to the human Rangers when she performed her transformation spell.

Although her body had now fully changed into that of a humanoid, the Dragonfire Gem wasn't done with her armour. Shoulder pads designed to look like wings attached to the scaled breastplate and she could feel attachments locking onto her helmet. A strange weapon flashed over her visor for the briefest of instants before vanishing into her armour and she smiled to herself as the Dragonfire Gem flashed twice. Flexing her fingers in front of her face, she allowed a wicked smile flash over her lips before trying desperately to think of something other than the strange sensation between her legs. In the more wild side of her mind, she wondered if the influx of power was getting her off; but she clamped down on that thought before it became impossible for her to fight. As the energy column slowly vanished around her, she took in a moment of temporary relaxation as she studied the looks of awe and fear on the faces of Goldar and Discord.

"Dragonfire Ranger…Ready."

As Spike crawled out from behind the debris pile; his eyes widened in amazement as he saw Twilight's transformed state. No longer confined to a quadruped form, the Purple Ranger had somehow changed into a humanoid Ranger form with actual hands and fingers. As she settled into a slightly wobbly stance, Spike whistled low as his eyes travelled over her body. While the purple bodysuit wasn't all that different from the one she normally wore, the addition of the golden breastplate seemed to enhance the magic aura that emanated from her morphed form. Spiked gauntlets over her fingers gave the appearance of talons that were ready to rend flesh from the bone and he found himself involuntarily shuddering at the thought. As if sensing his presence behind her, Twilight turned and gave him a thumbs-up and he weakly smiled back as he looked at the transformed helmet.

No longer was her visor in the shape of her Cutie Mark. Instead, it was realistically stylised to look like the open mouth of a dragon. Horn-like attachments completed the illusion and seamlessly blended with her unicorn horn in the middle of her forehead. For a brief moment, he thought that the horn would split open to reveal a crest on top of her helmet but the thought vanished as soon as it had come. As she turned back, he heard the final murmurings from Shining Light as she completed her farewells of the Princess. Hearing a step behind him, he ducked to the ground as a Z-Putty swung at his head and he remembered that he was in the middle of a battle.

"New costume or not; you don't scare me!"

Turning towards the gold-plated monkey that had made the rather boastful remark, Twilight smiled under her helmet. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the changes that her body was going through but her mind instantly refocused on the fight in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shining Light beginning the Ritual of Purification as Celestia said her final goodbyes. A part of her felt sad that Shining Light wouldn't be having more time in the 'new' world but the more rational part of her knew that even if the Ritual wasn't performed, Shining Light would fade from their plane of existence no matter what. Holding her fingers out in a saurian-like stance, she waited for one of the two warriors to make the first move. As she waited, her eyes accessed the weapon menu on her HUD and searched for the weapon she had seen for the briefest of instants. At the very bottom of the menu – past the flame tongues and the wing boomerangs – she saw it as Goldar made his move.

The armoured simian prided himself on always being on the top of his game no matter what. Of course, he had suffered from a decrease of skills and strength while on Earth…and had been subject to a rather humiliating stint as a common butler. However, when the call had come to move away from the accursed planet, Goldar had trained extremely hard to prove to Lord Zedd and to himself that he wasn't some washed-up relic from the past. It was during an intense training session that he had sensed an incredible power source come out of Interdimensional travel in the orbit of Pluto…but the signal had vanished from his internal radar soon after. However, that brush with Power had made him all the more deadly in battle as he desperately sought to find something of equal or greater strength. He had found it and touched an even greater Power source at the very end of the Countdown…unfortunately for him and the rest of the forces of Evil; it had been the Z-Wave. Ripped from his physical body, Goldar's spirit was left to roam the Universe until the end of time. However, that was not to be the case.

He had just finished his fiftieth loop of the Lost Galaxy when he had been yanked through the Dimensional wall and thrust back into his original body…and in the service of Lord Zedd once more. He had only enough time to inquire about the new form of his Lord and test out his limbs before the call had come to march on a place called Canterlot and crush the Rangers within. The next few hours had been one surprise after another upon seeing the equine Rangers in action, the strangeness of an Orange Ranger ripping through monsters and the amazement of seeing the original Blue and Red Rangers in front of him. While the Red Ranger had hardly been much of a challenge, the Blue Ranger had improved greatly from the last time they had crossed blades. And then this new challenger had risen from the centre of a blazing column of light. He was itching to sink his fangs into the meat of this new Ranger and drink in the blood that would gush out.

He never stood a chance.

At the approach of the golden monkey, Twilight stepped back slightly and vaulted over the advancing beast. Preparing for her next attack, she had only a split second to see her boots flash back to hooves before lashing out in a powerful back kick. The blow caught Goldar in the small of his back and sent him sprawling on the ground in front of him. The simian attempted to unfurl his wings and take to the skies but after a few failed attempts, it became painfully clear to him that his Master hadn't yet restored his wings. Rolling on his back, he brought his arms up in front of his face as a long tongue of flame splashed against his body. Grumbling to himself, he struggled to stand up despite the searing heat. Managing to rise to his feet, he summoned his sword to his hands and absorbed some of the flames licking over him. The dragon Ranger took a startled step back as he muttered something under his breath about needing some more practice and initiated his teleporter.

"You dispatched Goldar easily enough. I expected no less from a relic of the past; but I will show you why they called me the Ruin of Discord!"

Twilight only had enough time to blink once before Discord was upon her. His xiphos had been sharpened and he wasn't holding back anything. He could hear Zedd screeching at him to pull his blows but he knew the Ranger in front of him could take it. From studying the memory archives of Zedd and the captured Rangers, he knew that the Ranger in front of him was in something called 'Battlizer Armour' which was supposed to be stronger and tougher than the normal armour. On the other hand, the Ranger had also transformed into a humanoid from her usually equine state. Whatever strange additional weapons she had to draw upon, he would do his utmost best to see all of them so his Master knew what to expect. If he died in the process then that was a fate worthy of him. Slashing his blade viciously over the scaled breastplate, his lips pulled back into a rictus grin as he heard the muffled shouts of panic and fear that came from under the dragon-themed helmet. He felt the sharp claws at the end of her gauntlets rip into his armour and even draw blood; but he was lost in the surge of bottled bloodlust that had been uncorked.

Off to the other side of the battlefield, Shining Light spoke the final word of the Ritual and inhaled sharply as pain exploded through her body. Zordon had laid out the aftermath of the process in excruciating detail and she was beginning to see why he had always asked if she would be all right with going through with it. She could see wisps of her power flowing out of her and merging into the golden ball of light that was steadily forming in front of her. Twilight's transformation into the Dragonfire Ranger and the additional energy she had sent had given her some small hope that she would be able to survive as a spirit in the world…but she knew that it was a fool's hope. In a way, she guessed she would survive and be with the Rangers…but she would be a part of the fledgling Grid and wouldn't really be able to exert that much influence. Despite the tearing pain in her body, she smiled softly and felt the last dregs of energy fall away from her. Floating over to the Dark Rangers, she peered past the helmet to look the White Ranger in the eye. There was confusion and anger in the brown orbs but there was an immeasurable amount of sadness as well; almost as if he knew what she had done.

"The spell will be broken and irrevocably shattered. Your Ninjetti Potential will be fully unlocked and in one case, will be granted. Do not mourn my passing as I will be with the Rangers of this world always."

The sphere of light levitated above the Dark Rangers and burst apart like an exploding water balloon. Streams of sparkling energy fell onto their armour and soaked through to their skin. She mustered up a weak smile before hovering to the side of Princess Celestia. The Princess of the Day noticed the spectre and turned to face her vanishing lover. Shining Light nodded once and weakly lifted her front leg to gently caress Celestia's cheek. She opened her mouth to say one final farewell before dissolving from sight forever.

"We will meet again, Celestia, in this life or the next."

Celestia weakly smiled and nodded as her long lost friend and lover vanished in front of her eyes. She bowed her head and struggled to contain the tears that threatened to break free. Drawing in a slow breath, she looked up at the remaining forces of Evil around her. Mourning over her loss would have to wait for now and she couldn't be seen to publicly break down in the middle of a battle. Unsteadily taking a step forward, she was stopped by a hand on her left shoulder. Looking at her side, she saw the opened visor of the Orange Ranger and the acknowledgement in his eyes to protect her until she regained her composure. Nodding once, she crumpled to the ground as the tears finally broke through.

Looking back at the mourning Princess, Weihan closed his visor and looked over to the pile of Dark Rangers. The energy had stopped flowing from the sphere and the five Rangers were giving off a strange, almost sickly green glow. Blasting the wounded Pachinkohead with his Raptor Laser, he stealthily moved closer to see what was happening to the Rangers…and if the Ritual of Purification had worked. If it hadn't worked then they would have no choice but to destroy them and the Zords to ensure Zedd couldn't use them for Evil anymore. Looking at the featureless helmet of the Dark White Ranger, he inhaled sharply as an abstract visor began to form. It looked similar to the visor on the White Morphin Ranger but without the designs and stylisations around it. Dropping his eyes to the Ranger's chest, he held his breath as the blood-red diamond was slowly replaced by a white and gold diamond with a representation of the Falcon Ninja Coin in the middle.

He signalled Billy across the battlefield as the Acceptance Ranger destroyed a resurrected Four Head and the Midnight Blue Ranger jogged over. Out of the corner of his eye, she could see Twilight pull a strange boomerang-like weapon out of her shoulders and deflect a savage strike from Discord's blade. From the looks of things, the humanoid horse wasn't pulling any punches but neither was the Purple Ranger.

"Tommy, can you hear me? Kim?"

The former Dark Pink Ranger looked up as her vision cleared. The last thing she could remember had been telling Billy about the attack plan…and then the darkness had consumed her once more. She had been floating in darkness ever since…but a light and a voice had reawakened her from the pit. She could feel the Crane within her once more and could feel the permanent bond that had been established. She gasped in wonder as she saw the wolf's head helmet in front of her and the achingly familiar voice that came from beneath its armour plating. She opened her mouth to speak when the strange buzzing energy that had looped around her arms blinked away into nothingness. A dark blue furred winged unicorn wearing nightmarish armour looked down at her and winked once before trotting off to the side of another winged unicorn. A chuckle escaped from the throat of the Ranger above her as the robotic form of the Blue Shogunzord trundled past her view.

As the strength returned to her limbs; Kim rolled off the pile of bodies beneath her and slowly rose to her feet. Surveying the battleground around her, her mouth slowly dropped open as three Z-Putties flew overhead. Rangers of all colours were engaged in battle against a few groups of resurrected monsters, grunts and Zords. A bright pink horse Zord bounded into view and blasted the Blue Shogunzord with what looked like extremely sticky toffee while 'The Ride of the Valkyries' blared out from shoulder-mounted speakers.

"We need to do something about the Blue Shogunzord before Pinkie drowns us in toffee."

Nodding once at the statement, Kim summoned the bow she had been granted; but blinked in surprise as it changed into a heavily-armoured version of her Power Bow. Pulling out his Acceptance Lance, Billy smirked as he noted the two weapons could have been part of the same set of weapons. As the former Dark Rangers finally regained their sense of direction, Kim nodded at her husband as the strange Orange Ranger combined his blade and a funky-looking hand cannon. The Ninjetti Rangers pulled out their weapons and started the sequence of weapon combination – even Tanya who had never been an original Mighty Morphin Ranger.

"Power Axe!"

"Power Bow!"

"Power Daggers!"

"Acceptance Lance!"

"Power Sword!"

As Rocky set his weapon on top of the gestalt combination, his mind reeled as he looked around him. He had heard snippets of the strange things Tommy and Kim had seen on their outings when the spell was in the early stages of integration but had paid them no mind. In truth, he had been rather preoccupied with shaking the spell off his mind and had used every trick in the book…but nothing had worked. On the HUD that appeared on his visor, he could see that the strange 'Acceptance Lance' Billy had added was powering up the Power Blaster to extremely powerful levels. As the other four Rangers braced themselves behind him, he saw Billy pull out another strange weapon that was based on the head of a Triceratops. Shaking his head in bewilderment, the Red Ninjetti Ranger aimed the Power Blaster at the Blue Shogunzord and pulled the trigger as the other two Rangers fired.

From her vantage point in the Laughter Harmonyzord, Pinkie yelped in surprise as three thick streams of energy blasted past her viewscreen and impacted against the slightly sticky armour of the Blue humanoid Zord in front of her. She watched in stunned fascination as the toffee evaporated into nothingness a split second before the three beams rapidly disintegrated the armour of the Zord like a hungry swarm of parasprites through butter. Giggling at the mental image that produced, she backed the Zord off as the beams continued their destructive path through the body of the blue Zord. Deciding she needed a better view of the action, she hopped out of her Zord and landed on the ground next to a slightly bewildered Luna. After a few seconds, the energy assault faded and her mouth slowly dropped open as she saw the sparking hole in the middle of the robot. With what seemed like a robotic groan of pain, the Blue Shogunzord toppled to the ground and exploded in a brilliant burst of light, energy and fire that left the ground quaking for several seconds.

"Incredible…just what did we unleash onto the world?"

Twilight narrowed her eyes as she heard Discord's soft voice as they both stared at the destruction of the Blue Shogunzord. When the humanoid former alicorn turned back to her, she could see the uncertainty and doubt in his eyes.

"You win this round, Ranger. Be prepared for what is to come next."

In a flash of light, Discord was gone and Twilight stared up at the sky. Slowly walking over to where Spike had watched the fight with extremely wide eyes, she chuckled to herself and scooped up the baby dragon into her arms. Shaking her head at how light he was, she hoped that the long battle was finally over. Around her, her friends gathered and whistled in appreciation as they caught sight of her transformed state. Placing Spike on Rarity's back much to his delight, she walked over to the grieving Princess and kneeled next to her. She opened her mouth to console Celestia when three things happened.

A powerful energy wave knocked her and every Ranger to the ground.

Pain flooded her senses as her morph failed and she transformed painfully back into her pony form; and…

Three distorted voices started laughing from somewhere near them.

Rising to her feet, Twilight looked around to her friends and fellow Rangers. All of them had demorphed and were recovering from whatever that attack had been. Even the two Princesses and Spike were affected in some way and she gasped in concern as she saw the large bruises starting to form on her mentor's flanks. Squinting through the smoke and steam billowing from the ruined Zord, she sharply inhaled at the same time as the former Dark Rangers cried out in alarm. The unmorphed Rangers grouped together and although the situation looked pretty bleak, Twilight and Applejack couldn't help but giggle as they saw the male Ninjetti Rangers attempt to look anywhere else but the half-naked forms of the female Ultra Rangers. Weihan, who was pretty used to their behaviour, rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. She also could see Billy quizzically looking at the female that had been the Yellow Dark Ranger and quickly dismiss the thought from his mind.

"Did you enjoy the little warm-up?"

"I think they did Thundrar."

"I know they did Ultraris. It's called a rhetorical question."

Slowly, three humanoid figures began to walk out of the steam and smoke. The first one looked similar to a dragon but was coloured a bright blue. Wickedly sharp spines protruded from its arms and shoulders as its thick, muscular tail whipped back and forth impatiently behind it. The second one had sharp feline features that contrasted rather oddly with the scorpion tail that was poised behind it. The third one looked nothing more than a rather demented version of Ninjor, complete with a blue and gold sword sheathed on its back. The trio of monsters stopped a fair distance from the Rangers and snapped their fingers in unison. In an explosion of thick black smoke, several legions of Z-Putties and Z-Centaurs surrounded them and the draconic humanoid stepped forward.

"We are the Ultra Brothers, created by the darkness of the thirteenth. We will stop at nothing to kill you and build a castle from your bones. Any last words before the slaughter begins?"

Billy didn't have to look around him to know that the Rangers had summoned their Morphers to their hands. Even the former Dark Rangers had called upon strange cylindrical devices that contained their Ninjetti Coins. He slowly inhaled and prepared to shout out the call that united them all, no matter what dimension they originally hailed from and no matter the gap between Powers.

"_**IT'S MORPHIN TIME!**_"

TBC…

Pinkie: PARTY!


	101. Power Tsunami

AN: If you haven't read the most recent Equestria 101 chapter (Ninjetti), now might be a good time to read it or you might be confused.

Chapter 101: Power Tsunami

The air crackled as the 'gates' of the Morphin Grid blasted open.

The Equestrian Rangers' Element Morphers glittered with power as they accessed the Equestrian Morphin Grid. Deep within the Grid, the energy that had once been Shining Light nodded approvingly as she split into different streaks of energy that sped towards the Element Crystals. As they called upon their individual Element, the Rangers swore they could feel the warmth and love from Shining Light permeate through their bodies.

"Generosity!"

"Laughter!"

"Loyalty!"

"Kindness!"

"Honesty!"

"Magic!"

"Acceptance!"

Seven columns of light raced from their Morphers to engulf their bodies in the gleaming armour of the Equestrian Rangers. Although their armour had been battered and scorched only a few minutes ago, the time it had spent in the Grid had re-energised it to full capacity. As their armour slid over their bodies and locked into place, Billy could see the first stirrings of uncertainty drifting across the eyes of the three monsters. Smirking to himself, he felt the helmet form around his head and waited for the internal OS to activate. A part of him wanted to join the Ninjetti Rangers but he knew that part of his life was far behind him. He had a duty to his friends and his team and he wasn't going to betray that for some old nostalgia. Next to him, he could barely see Jason preparing his morph and wondered exactly what his old friend was thinking.

"Tyrannosaurus!"

The Morphin Power felt welcoming but there was a strange echo of sorrow and sadness throughout it. Jason knew that Shining Light had performed the Ritual of Purification and was now one with the Grid. How he knew this, he didn't really know. From his late-night conversations with Zordon, he knew that whenever a powerful Ranger ally died, he or she would join the multitudes of spirits in the Morphin Grid to impart their wisdom for future generations. Shining Light was an ally of the Princess but he didn't know if that qualified for her acceptance into the Morphin Grid. If it did, it would be a cruel fate if Princess Celestia never had the opportunity to morph, at least temporarily, in order to know that her friend was still watching out for her.

He also wondered what would happen now with Billy. Obviously the former Blue Morphin Ranger had integrated himself fully within the circle of the ponies but there was now an opportunity for him to go back to the home dimension with his friends. Yet, as soon as that argument appeared, it was shot down less than a second later. Billy had invested his time and energy into protecting Equestria from the threat of Zedd. If he left for home, Zedd would still be attacking and the Rangers would be a member short. He highly doubted the Ultra Rangers would want to spend most of their future shuffling back and forth through the dimensions…but maybe he would be wrong. Shaking his head internally as his helmet materialised over his head, he stole a glance to the Ultra Rangers as they thrust out their strangely colour-coded Morphers in front of them.

"Utahraptor!"

"Carnotaurus!"

"Ankylosaurus!"

"Dilophosaurus!"

"Allosaurus!"

"Iguanodon!"

As the Ultra Energy from the Morphin Spectrum exploded from the outstretched Morpher, Weihan's mind was racing wildly. Pulling out the ordinary Power Morpher with the Dinosaur Coins had been an instinctive decision and while it would adhere to the 'Morphin' theme that was going on with the others, it was also the one power that had the least frills. They could still call upon their usual weapons and fight but they would notice a slight drop in power from the usual Battle Armour. As the bodysuit materialised onto his body, he tried to block out the sighs of pleasure coming from the girls next to him and focused his mind on other matters…such as what the draconic-looking monster had said.

The thirteenth Ultra Crystal. He supposed it had been too much for him to think that Zedd would never use it again but it seemed as though the Dark Lord had managed to use it a bit better than his previous attempts. As the helmet flashed onto his head, he switched on the Energy Spectrum Scanner and scanned the monsters in front of him. The results flashed over his visor too fast for a normal human to read, but his eyes scanned over the text as the ball of ice in his gut grew larger. Dino, Thunder and Ninja Ultra Energy were present in the three monsters respectively and would seriously give them a challenge. Unsurprisingly, the strongest of the three monsters was the draconic one and Weihan knew that he would need to keep that one occupied until he could call on his Assault Armour and destroy it. He hoped that the two forms of Ultra Energy wouldn't cancel each other out but he doubted that would be the case. Even if it happened, he would be surrounded by the other Rangers. Grinning slightly at that thought, he checked behind him to see the new Ninjetti Rangers morph, wondering why Tanya was using the Yellow Ninjetti Coin.

"Falcon!"

"Frog!"

"Crane!"

"Bear!"

"Ape!"

The Ninjetti Energy that was present in their bodies flowed through the cylindrical Ninjetti Morpher and encased their bodies in the same armour as they had worn as Dark Rangers. Tanya crossed every part of her body that was made for crossing and hoped the Ninjetti Power would actually work for her this time. Although Aisha had never formally transferred the powers before her passing, Tanya had found out quite by accident that she could call on the Bear Spirit to help with her daily life. The first instance had been a day or so after the gathering at Angel Grove where they had seen the power glow from Billy. A part of her knew that the Bear Spirit had chosen her, but a larger part wished that Aisha would formally grant her the Ninjetti Powers.

_Ask and it shall be granted!_

Tanya's eyes widened as the familiar voice wafted into her ears and a figure stepped out of the energy cyclone that was around her. She looked the same as she had last seen her; the only difference being the yellow dress she was wearing and the gleaming aura of Power around her body. Glancing around her, Tanya was shocked to see that none of the other Ninjetti noticed her presence and wondered why that was the case. After all, they should be jumping for joy that they had another chance to see her one last time.

**How is this possible?**

_For all users of the Power; anything is possible. However, now is not the time to discuss such matters. It is now time for me to do, in death, what I could not do in life._

Tanya watched as Aisha walked closer. The former Yellow Ranger lifted her arms and clasped them to her heart. Closing her eyes, she started muttering a Ritual whose meaning had been lost to the ages. Slowly, bright tendrils of pulsing energy began to rise off Aisha's body and mix with the slightly dulled yellow of Tanya's aura. The former Zeo Ranger inhaled sharply as a rush of power filled her body and flooded her senses with exhilarating pleasure. The low rumbling roar of the Bear Spirit filled her ears as the Dark Ranger armour began to transform into the 'purified' armour of the Phaedosian Ninjetti Rangers. On all of the morphing Ninjetti Rangers, panels slid aside on their chests to reveal the familiar diamond pattern that was present on the Mighty Morphin' suits. Their visors changed from the dinosaur helmets to open mouths of their Ninjetti Animals. Glancing to where the Midnight Blue Ranger was standing with his team, Tanya thought that their visors now were extremely similar to Billy's.

_You know he cannot return with you all. Although he may not realise it himself, he has made a life for him here and has developed strong bonds with those around him. I'm sure Tommy knows this as well but I think he will need some convincing._

Tanya nodded as she agreed with that sentiment. Billy had to stay if there was ever any hope for Equestria to be free of Zedd's tyranny. Seeing that she had accepted it; Aisha's spirit stepped back but, seeing the confusion on the face of her successor, 'spoke' once more.

_I am going back into the Interdimensional Morphin Grid. You will know when the time is right._

In nineteen flashes of light and colour, a line of fully morphed Rangers stood in front of the three Ultra Brothers. Their armour gleamed in the afternoon sunlight and the post-morphing runoff steadily built up behind them. Sensing the incredible destructive force, Princess Luna gently nudged her sister to stand with the Equestrian Rangers. Even though she had thought up a roll call phrase for herself and Celestia, she thought it would be wise to not say it and join in with the full team call. It seemed as if the other Rangers around her agreed with that sentiment and chose to forgo the individual Ranger calls. As they were the team of the dimension, the Equestrian Rangers went first with Luna and Celestia's voices joining the chorus.

"Elements of Harmony, grant us power! Equestrian Rangers!"

"Powered by the Ultra Crystal, we are the Destroyers of Evil! Ultra Rangers!"

"Red Ranger Reborn! Mighty Morphin Power Ranger!"

"Ancient Animal Spirits Unite! Ninjetti Rangers!"

The Leaders of the teams stepped forward and raised their right fists, or right leg in Twilight's case, into the air. Whether by magic or by the innate sense of unity granted by the Power, the Rangers shouted the same end phrase. Amusingly, it was a slightly modified version of the one that had been used previously.

"Crossing dimensions and crushing evil! Rangers United!"

TBC…


	102. Awakening Sword

Chapter 102: Awakening Sword

Tommy couldn't believe how strong it was.

Wincing under his helmet as Adam flew into one of the standing walls hard enough to crack the reinforcement; he turned back to their opponent. After the strangeness of the final call in unison, the resulting explosion had destroyed the majority of the summoned grunts within seconds. It wasn't the most orthodox of strategies, but there was no denying that it was something to keep in mind for a future battle. The Equestrian Rangers had leapt at the draconic being but had been intercepted by the so-called Ultra Rangers who had apparently said something to Billy to make him change his mind. The Equestrian Rangers were now battling against the strange leonine-manticore monster…which left the Ninjetti and Jason to fight the strange Ninjor knockoff.

"Watch your back!"

Ducking instinctively, Tommy swallowed hard as he felt the passing of air as the Ninjor wannabe slashed its sword where his head had been. Diving to the ground, the White Ranger pulled out the replica Saba and triggered the firing of the eye-beams. Thin streams of white and gold energy lanced out of the replica scimitar's eyes and struck the chest of the armoured monster. Staggering back, the monster left itself wide open for Jason to charge in and slash his Power Sword against its back, cleaving a large slab of armour away from its body. As the Red Morphin Ranger retreated, he could see Rocky come in to strike the unprotected flesh with his own Power Sword as Kim readied an energy arrow with her Power Bow. For some reason, their weapons – although replicas – were heavily armoured and seemed to pack more of a punch than they had originally.

"Damned Rangers, how dare you strike Ninjora! You will feel the wrath of the Ninja Level of the Ultra Grid!"

"Ultra Grid? Who is this guy kidding?"

Jason shook his head at Rocky's comment. Unlike the Red Ninjetti Ranger, he had seen the Ultra Rangers in battle and they were every bit as fearsome as the monster in front of them was. The only thing that didn't really make much sense to him was all the business about a thirteenth crystal. From the snippets of conversation he was able to have with the Ultra Rangers, the number of Ultra Crystals was limited to twelve. For there to be a thirteenth crystal either meant one had slipped under the radar or that the Orange Ranger didn't consider it a viable threat to his Rangers anymore. Channelling Morphin Power into his Power Sword, he rushed the monster again and brought his blade up to impact against the monster's left shoulder. Pushing forward and up simultaneously, he was able to generate enough momentum to send the monster crashing to the ground.

Leaping over a poorly swung attack, Jason raised the glowing Sword above his head and stabbed it through the helmet of the monster. Ninjora went slack as a strange brown liquid began to seep out from the shattered helmet. Withdrawing the Power Sword, Jason was aware of the looks being directed at him by the Ninjetti Rangers and he groaned under his helmet, not noticing as Ninjora's fingers twitched below him. Dismissing his Power Sword, he walked over to Tommy and gave him a look…although the effect was somewhat muted due to the helmet.

"Sorry, bro. I guess some of the Ultra Rangers' methods rubbed off onto me."

Tommy shook his head in wonder as he looked at Jason's morphed form. He vaguely remembered Rocky informing him that Jason had touched the physical embodiment of the Morphin Grid before it had been moved to Reefside, but there seemed to be an aura of sorrow that hadn't been present the last time they had seen each other. Dismissing the replica Saba, he waved it off and surveyed the battlefield. The Ninjor-monster hadn't exploded, which was a rather odd curiousity, but he knew that no monster could survive an energised blade skewering its brain. They would just have to blow the monster up with their blasters when the other Ranger teams had finished their battles. He saw the grace and elegance in which the equine Rangers fought against their enemy and whistled in appreciation as their Red Ranger teamed up with the Blue Ranger for a dual cannon blast that sent the manticore beast flying back.

"What's the deal with those 'Ultra Rangers'? They seem powerful but a bit…"

"Reckless? I guess so but they have good reason to be…ah, that had to have hurt."

Looking over to where the Ultra Rangers were battling the creature that had called itself Ultraris, he winced for the second time as one of its powerful arms caught the Silver Ranger under her ribs and threw her into the Brown Ranger. There was a shout of…something he couldn't pick up and two flashes of light later, the Orange and Purple Rangers had put on their Battle Armour. As they sprang into action, he whistled low again as he saw them actually force Ultraris away from the fallen Rangers and stop whatever attack the monster had been charging up. Seeing the savagery of their strikes made the White Ranger pause and wonder how they still had their powers if they showed no mercy to their enemies. Sure, the monsters were evil and had to be stopped one way or another but even the Ultra Rangers had to follow a set of rules…right?

"Jason! Behind you!"

Blinking at the static-filled voice that burst through the speakers in his helmet, Jason dove to the ground a split second before Tommy did the same. Pulling out his Blade Blaster, he flipped onto his back and fired at the figure above him. To say that the monster had seen better days was a gross understatement. The hole in its helmet continually oozed the strange brown liquid and it grasped the air in front of it like some deranged zombie. Flipping onto his feet, Jason converted his Blade Blaster to its Blade mode and watched the creature as it shakily approached him.

"Not dead…you can't kill me that easily!"

In a fluid motion, the monster grabbed its helmet and pulled it off its head and throwing it at the Ninjetti Rangers. The helmet landed on the ground harmlessly and violently exploded, throwing clumps of earth everywhere. As the smoke and steam cleared, Kim suddenly gasped in shock as Ninjora pulled the remaining brown ooze from its head to reveal the true horror that lay beneath. The monster had two heads that looked uncannily similar to a shark's head. Its two mouths opened and spoke in unison.

"Now you see what the Ultra Grid is capable of. Pity that you won't live to see anything else!"

The shark-ninja monster rushed at the Rangers and they scattered. Adam was the first to recover and pulled out his Power Axe. As if responding to his thoughts and actions, the replica weapon flashed with white light once and transformed itself into a thick, double bladed battleaxe. The Black Ninjetti swung the weapon at the monster and smirked as the blades bit into its chest, eliciting screeches of pain from the monster. Yanking out the weapon, he raised it above his head to slam it on the heads of the monster when it blasted him away with a blue beam from its mouths. A dual blade attack from both Rocky and Jason had little to no effect on the monster, who tossed them into the ruins of a nearby bakery. A swipe from Tanya's daggers produced some sparks but any advantage gained by the sudden attack was negated by a strong punch to her midsection. The Yellow Ranger crumpled in half and slumped to the ground, unmoving. Kim had marginally better luck than Tanya but after a few energy arrows bounced off its torso armour, the crazed beast had apparently had enough. Ignoring the blasts on its armour, it reared up to its full height and blasted azure beams from its mouth. The beams impacted against Kim's armour and sent her flying away from the battle. Tommy only had enough time to see her be caught by the dark blue winged unicorn before he had to leap away from the beams of destruction.

"Is this the power of the Ultra Rangers?"

"Yeah, it is. The only difference though is that the enemy is using unrefined power…while the Ultra Rangers…"

Jason let the sentence trail off as six blinding lights flashed over the battleground for a split second. He didn't have to glance over to the Ultra Rangers to know that they had pulled out their Assault Armour and would be soon destroying the monster in 'ten seconds flat' as Rainbow Dash liked to say. However, they still had the issue of their monster to deal with. Stealthy attacks wouldn't really work against the Ninja wannabe and he seriously doubted they could attempt to out-think the monster – not with several of the Ninjetti injured. As Jason became more and more frustrated with their current situation, he didn't notice the small lines of energy that began to run over his armour – or the changes that slowly started to show.

The armour around his upper chest, shoulders and arms became slightly thicker, while the white diamond in the centre of his chest became more prominent. The half-diamonds on either side turned as red as his suit and a medium-sized version of his Power Coin appeared in the centre of it; similar to the Battle Armours of the Ultra Rangers. The details on his helmet became slightly more defined and the head of the Tyrannosaur gained realistic eyes and a dull red sheen appeared on the 'teeth'. He looked down in shock as his Power Sword suddenly materialised in his hands and gasped in amazement as the blade grew longer and fanned out slightly at the tip. The somewhat circular cross guard and rain guard shrunk in size to accommodate a strangely organic-looking attachment that seemed to change the metallic properties of the blade. Standing up, he felt a slight charge run through his legs and looked down in time to see the armour from his waist down transform into slightly scaled representations of saurian legs and feet. New information flooded his mind and he realised that the potential to evolve his Ranger suit was always there. He wondered why it hadn't been triggered in earlier battles but dismissed the thought with a shrug. Inhaling deeply, he announced the name of his armour as a thunderous explosion blossomed behind him.

"Tyrant Armour, Active."

TBC…


	103. Flashing Blades

Chapter 103: Flashing Blades

Maybe fighting Ultraris would have been easier.

Billy twirled his Acceptance Lance and slashed the blades across Thundrar's unarmoured chest. The sharp edges bit deeply into its flesh and thin rivulets of grey-green blood started to drip out of the wounds. However, the monster seemed unfazed by the wound and raised both its arms into the air. Flipping out of the way of a crushing slam, his eyes narrowed as Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy unleashed the full force of their Element Blasters and Flank Cannons at the feline creature. Broad-beam lasers, laser 'pellets' and weaponised caramel impacted the monster from all sides, engulfing it in a large cloud of strangely sweet-smelling smoke. Waving his hand in front of his face to clear the smell away, he prepared himself for the monster's reappearance.

As the smoke cleared, he groaned under his breath. The monster was still standing – which was to be expected – but it looked oblivious to the damage it had taken. Large patches of its fur were burnt off to expose the slightly charred skin underneath. What hadn't been burnt was covered with a strange mixture of caramel, embers and singed fur. Slowly looking at itself, the creature snarled and readied its scorpion tail. In a lightning fast movement, it scraped its stinger across his chest and sent him flying back. Crashing against the ground in a heap, he looked up as Applejack and Rainbow Dash charged towards the manticore creature; keeping well away from its wildly swinging stinger. As the two Rangers neared the monster, his eyes widened in alarm as he saw it draw both of its arms back again in preparation for a blow that would have surely force-demorphed them. Luckily, the two Rangers had seen the incredibly obvious movement and leapt to opposite sides as soon as Thundrar initiated its attack.

Struggling to his feet as the two Rangers literally ran rings around their opponent, he surveyed the battlefield as Twilight and the Princesses trotted over to him. He had sent them to provide Spike with some protection against the remaining Z-Putties and Z-Centaurs still roaming around. Apparently, it seemed Spike's natural dragon breath had received a slight boost with his use of the Dragon Jet as it could destroy a Z-grunt without having to hit its weak point. Spike was now safely in the Command Tower and was monitoring the battle from there as he waited for the repairs and refuelling of the Dragon Jet to be completed. He still wasn't really clear on his position on the team as the position of leadership kept switching from him and Twilight. After the battle, he would have to talk with the purple unicorn and see exactly where he stood in the group. He heard a crackle of energy behind him and half-glanced to see Applejack and Rainbow Dash unleashing twin blasts from their Flank Cannons at the monster.

Chuckling at the sight of a wingless manticore flying through the air, his eyes widened as he caught sight of something behind the Ninjetti Rangers. The White Ninjetti and the Red Morphin Ranger were off to one side and apparently talking, while the others recovered from nasty-looking hits. However, none of them noticed the strange figure rising up in front of them – almost as if their perceptions were clouded by the strange haze that hung in the air over the battlefield. Whatever it was, it looked similarly like the Ninjor-themed monster but it seriously looked like it had dove head first into a sewage plant. Streaks of sickly brown ooze were splattered on the royal blue armour and large sections of armour had even been either sliced or blasted off. There was a fist-sized hole in the middle of its helmet and, nauseatingly, he could see straight through it. As the monster raised its arms like some sort of B-movie monster, Billy activated the communicator in his helmet.

"Jason! Behind you!"

The two Rangers dove to the ground and began attacking the monster as Billy turned back to the battle with Thundrar. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were alternating strategies between blasting it with their cannons, hitting against its thick muscle with their Tail Blades and running rings around the beast to confuse it. So far, it was a sound strategy but they would need a sure-fire way to end the battle swiftly. Summoning his Element Blade Blaster, the Midnight Blue Ranger carefully timed his shots as to not strike the Red and Blue Rangers with the energy from the Blaster.

Twilight watched her friends engage the monster and summoned the Dragonfire Gem to its place on her front left leg. Nodding at the two Princesses, she concentrated her power into the small gem and subvocalised the transformation call. As the energy exploded around her, she noticed Princess Luna flying off to catch the purified Dark Pink Ranger before she could fall on a set of exposed metal beams. As her mind processed the sensations coming through her newly regrown fingers, toes and various odds and ends; she made a mental note to sit down with one of the female Ultra Rangers and ask exactly what every new addition to her body was and what it could do.

As the last piece of armour slid into place, she took a small moment to actually read the information flashing up on her visor. Eyes widening as she processed the information, she let out a small gasp as everything clicked inside her mind. At the time of Spike's departure, she hadn't really given it much thought – except maybe something about how good it was that Spike was finally learning about where he had come from…but that act had seemingly been predetermined by beings far older than Celestia. Although the gem was called Dragonfire, the Armour had no set structure and would be moulded on the Bearer's first thought upon activation. As she had naturally been expecting something draconic and intimidating, it had changed accordingly. She was sure that if Pinkie or Fluttershy had been chosen, the armour would look very different on them.

Waiting for Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Billy to get out of her way, she lowered her body and charged at Thundrar. The monster spun around and attempted to send her flying with a whack from its stinger, but Twilight nimbly leapt over it. Flipping in the air, she raised both arms above her hear and grabbed onto the furry shoulders of the beast and used her momentum to throw it into a still-standing wall. Grimacing at the sticky residue her gauntlets were covered in, she flipped towards the monster and slammed her right hand into its face. The humanoid manticore screamed in pain and fear as the sharp claw on the tip of her index finger sunk into its right eye, the delicate structure bursting in a small geyser of blue-tinged pus. Keeping her hand on Thundrar's face, Twilight brought her arm down in a jerking motion as the claws shredded its feline features.

"Ah guess that's necessary fer the monster…"

Twilight continued her assault as Applejack's comment reached her ears. She didn't know why she was brutally beating down on the monster so viciously but she didn't really care. The monster in front of her was a twisted perversion of the strongest Ranger Power she knew. She remembered her mini-freak-out when she regained consciousness in the cockpit of the Hydra Thunderzord all those weeks ago and also remembered what Weihan had told her then.

"_The Thunder Powers are the more intellectual of the Main Three. If you're up against an opponent that uses the Thunder Powers, your best bet is to overwhelm them with a combination of fast and strong attacks. If the monster is as dumb as a post…I got nothing."_

There was also that issue of the meter on her HUD that was slowly filling up with every attack. She didn't know what it was for, but she was willing to bet it would end the battle quickly and with minimal damage. Ripping her 'claws' out of Thundrar, she balled up both hands into fists and punched the feline creature's stomach. As the monster fell back, she felt something within her slowly open and she felt a smile creeping over her face. Activating the weapon menu, she scrolled down to the option she had seen before and selected it. A shudder of energy ran through her body and she watched the meter blink out as the name of the weapon flashed onto her visor.

"Dragonstrike Sword!"

In a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning, the weapon appeared in her hands. She could tell it was a large sword of some description with an ornate purple, orange and white handle. Sliding a finger down the shaft, she could feel it pulsing with power and could tell there were concealed buttons studded around it. Her eyes roamed the length of the blade and noticed the strangely intricate designs that were etched into the metal. They seemed to tell a story of a group of humanoids that transferred their powers into a rather odd-shaped monument and their creation of two jewels…something about it seemed awfully familiar. The cross-guard was in the shape of flared dragon wings and there was a small depression in the centre of the rain guard. Peering closer at the depression, she noticed it was in the same shape as the Dragonfire Gem. Crossing her fingers that this would work out all right, she plucked the carved gemstone from the jewelled band around her left wrist and set it into the depression.

A long tongue of flame flashed the entire length of the metal, sending a shudder of pleasure down her spine. Resting the blade on her right shoulder, she walked toward Thundrar – looking for all the world like the harbinger of death.

It was time to end this.

TBC…


	104. Meteor

AN: And in this chapter, my Ultra Crystals muse is destroyed. Only in story though.

Chapter 104: Meteor

"Pathetic Rangers, you think you can stand up against Ultraris?"

Weihan tried to wonder where it had all gone pear-shaped. He had stopped Billy and the Equestrian Rangers from attacking the draconic beast as planned but had been on the back foot ever since. Ultraris or whatever it called itself was damned strong and he had to call on his full Battle Armour to fight on a relatively even footing. Looking back to where Rachelle and Rebecca were picking themselves up, he slashed his Sabre horizontally at Ultraris and leapt at the creature. In the middle of his leap, he stabbed his blade down and managed to sever a few of the spikes on its shoulders. Disturbingly bright red blood wept from the wounds but the dragon didn't seem to notice. Landing behind the monster, the Orange Ranger looked around for his team-mates just as a barrage of white and purple lasers swept past him to impact against its armoured back.

The beast turned to its attackers slowly…which wasn't really a good sign. He was hoping the draconic monster would whirl quickly and angrily around; but a slow and relaxed approach meant that the monster didn't think they were worth fighting. On one hand, they had the advantage as the monster was less likely to use its full power in its attacks. However, on the other hand…the monster hadn't used even a fraction of its power and it had casually flung Rachelle into Rebecca as easily as blinking. Leaping back to join the White and Purple Rangers, he summoned his Raptor Cannon and unloaded a few charged blasts into the bright blue monster. The burning energy impacted against its scaled chest and exploded out in mini balls of fire.

"You hurt me? I commend you; you actually may be stronger than you look. However, I don't think you know what you're dealing with."

The Orange Ranger clenched his teeth together as he saw the flashes that signalled Rachelle and Rebecca had summoned their Battle Armour as well. Keeping one eye on the monster in front of him, he switched on the radar and scanned the battlefield. As expected, Sarah was somewhere behind him and from the looks of things; she was climbing or ascending in order to have a clear shot with her newly-discovered sniper mode Venom Shield. He could also see a large amount of power gathering near Twilight and, with a smirk, realised she was about to go Dragonfire once more. Formulating a quick plan in his mind, he initiated a telepathic connection with the others and explained what it would entail. As expected, they were slightly less than enthused.

_That's going to require split second timing. How do you plan on distracting big, dumb and ugly long enough?_

"I'm curious…what do you think we're dealing with?"

Ultraris blinked in shock as the Ranger in front of him dared to speak back at him. Running an expert eye over the body of the Ranger, he grinned toothily and absently picked at one of the rapidly healing scabs on its shoulders. Well, he guessed it wouldn't really hurt for the Rangers in front of him to know why it was incredibly futile to resist. Being a monster of the Thirteenth meant that he knew all about the long history of the Crystal by heart. Ignoring the voice in the back of his mind that something was amiss, he opened his mouth and began talking.

"Thousands of years ago, in a dimension far different to this one; a great war was brewing between two sides…"

Weihan listened with half an ear as the dragon monster prattled on. He knew the true history of the Ultra Crystals as Zordon had explained it to him all those months ago in the Command Centre. He could still recall the awe and wonder he had felt when Zordon's words had flashed strange images and sounds into his mind and he wondered exactly how the ancient sage was doing it. He smiled as he remembered what had happened directly after Zordon's history lesson had finished; the debut of his Dinozord and the utter annihilation of the mindless Wraith that had crippled the Power Rangers.

"On Eltare, the ancient sage Zordon was tasked with creating a set of powerful crystals to defend the planet from this evil…"

He wondered if Zedd was listening in on what the monster was saying as he had heard that the histories between the Zedd that was attacking Equestria was greatly different to the one that had probably been nuked in the Z-Wave. Carefully manoeuvring himself around the lecturing monster, he carefully scanned the battlefield once more. Twilight had transformed into her Dragonfire Armour mode and was brutally beating the monster in front of her while the others watched in surprise. The aura of power that he had sensed around her hadn't dissipated and was steadily growing stronger with each passing moment. He wondered exactly what the unicorn had up her sleeve to justify the brutal beatdown she was dishing out.

"Taking the shot…now."

Sidestepping carefully, Weihan saw two flashes of green energy streak towards Ultraris and impact against his neck and shoulderblades. The steam rising from the impact sites was all the confirmation needed that the acidic blasts were eating through its toughened scales…but the monster didn't seem to notice anything had happened. Shaking his head slowly, he motioned for Sarah to rejoin them. As the Green Ultra Ranger leapt down from a nearby balcony, he looked around to see where they were and if they had moved from their original location. For the second time that battle, he was amused by what fate had thrown at him as they were in the same place in which Mortaro had met his first end.

"And during the battle, the thirteen crystals were flung out into space. Pure accident of course – anyone could have done it, but it was done by Ninjor's hand. He explained to Zordon that he had been forced to send them into space, when in reality; that was something done purely by chance."

Weihan blinked in surprise at that new bit of information. He had always thought Ninjor had acted on a plan to preserve the Crystals and not allow them to fall into enemy hands. Making a mental note to ask his Ninjor what really had happened during the final battle with Rita, he looked around him at the Rangers that were ringing Ultraris in. As he had planned, they were positioned so that their charged beams of destruction would be able to pass to the side of the Ranger on the opposite side. If he was a betting man, he would place odds on the Assault Armour being able to withstand a direct impact of an energy barrage…but he wasn't willing to place the life of any of his Rangers at risk.

"And that's the entire history of the thirteenth crystal up until Zedd came to Equestria! Hope you enjoyed it!"

"Assault Armour, Activate!"

Ultraris barely had time to blink as six sets of highly dangerous armour materialised on the Rangers surrounding him. Swallowing hard, he wondered if he had underestimated the Rangers but dismissed the thought. There was no way in Hell that the ones in front of him were the Ultra Rangers…there were only six of them for Xonix's sake! And the archives had been specific that the only armour the Ultra Rangers would have been able to summon anyway was their basic Battle Armour through a vocal command. However, try as he might to deny it, he was facing down six very powerful looking Rangers. Taking a step back, he turned to rethink his strategy but his mouth dried up as he surveyed the battlefield.

The Ninjetti Rangers and the Red Morphin Ranger were three seconds away from destroying Ninjora completely. The Red Morphin Ranger had even pulled a set of armour from somewhere and was using it – and that transformed Power Sword of his – to strip the Ultra Ninja monster of his protective armour. On the other side of the field, the Purple Ranger had gone into her Battlized Mode and was advancing towards Thundrar with a massive blade on her shoulders. Oh well…at least there was minimal pain to be had with an energy-based destruction.

"I have to know before I die…who are you, really?"

Smiling under his helmet, the Orange Ranger shifted his stance as the meter flashed to one hundred percent charged. Sending out a telepathic warning to the other Rangers, he activated the Hellfire Storm. In the split-second of silence before the barrage, Weihan's words floated into Ultraris' ears and the draconic monster knew he had sorely underestimated his foes.

"We are the Ultra Rangers."

TBC…


	105. Dimitria's Revenge

Chapter 105: Dimitria's Revenge

"Why didn't you allow me to power the Zords?"

Zedd groaned to himself as he tore his eyes away from the viewscreens. Listening to Ultraris' description of the genesis of the Ultra Crystals had been rather interesting as it highlighted the differences between the dimensions. One of the differences had been the ultimate fate of Chysannas…but he guessed that being turned into a dead world wasn't really all that better than cracking half and becoming a Universal tourist destination. Plus, there was that little detail of Drakor being sealed in the Morphin Grid. That was an accident just waiting to happen and he hoped that he would be around to see it happen. Well, not physically as he was now tied to Equestria for the foreseeable future and…well; he would worry about it in the future. Shaking himself out of those thoughts, he turned to look at Dimitria and marvelled at the Inquirian's change of attitude…and dress. Her previous dress had been slashed to a fraction of its former length and barely covered anything at all. He had caught herself…enjoying…the pleasures of the Pink and Yellow Dark Rangers on occasion and had even 'played around' with the White Dark Ranger. If he had to compare her to someone; he would have said she was a spitting image of her sister. He begged to differ – Divatox could always handle his 'staff' when it was pushed into her rear access.

"With my power, they could have destroyed the Rangers fully. Now the Blue Shogunzord has been destroyed and the Ninjazords are no longer at our command! Your monsters are also on the verge of destruction…so what will the great and powerful Zedd do?"

He wondered how someone with as much power at her fingertips could fail to grasp the big picture. It was true that the Zords would have had an extra layer of protection with Dimitria powering them…and that was the plan after all. However, he had something else up his proverbial sleeve that would allow Dimitria to use her power to a better extent. After all, Dimitria was an ancient being and to infuse something with power, she had to directly merge with it. If that object was destroyed then there would be no more Dimitria to worry about. He supposed that was why Zordon hadn't powered his Rangers directly. Hearing a distant explosion, he turned to the mouth of the Cavern in time to see a pinpoint of light blossom for a split second…followed by two more. He didn't have to turn to the viewscreens to figure out what had happened.

He could have cursed himself for falling into the same trap of allowing the Equestrian Rangers to bolster their ranks and power up their Leader in the same battle…if he thought it would do some good. Biting back on his anger and frustration, he turned to his remaining forces. Goldar was training himself harder than before as the simian waited for his armour to cool. Discord was finally reading the archived materials he had brought along from his dimension and had locked himself in his quarters. Gilda was still unconscious and the brainwashing was being strengthened by Tricksy…and the only monster to have survived the battle had exploded while en route back to base. The remains could still be revived with a growth grenade but he doubted the giant Guitardo could really do much.

"I will power the Shogunzords with the thirteenth. That will have the added effect of reviving the three Ultra brothers…and you can power them directly. With the Shogun Megazord and the trio of monsters attacking at once, there is no possible way we can lose!"

"And what of the destroyed Blue Shogunzord? How is the Megazord going to fight without an arm?"

Dimitria shook her head as Zedd pondered the question. Ever since siding with Zedd, she had been getting a nagging feeling in the back of her mind that she had made the wrong decision. She would usually silence it with the knowledge she had gained about how the forces of Evil worked in their conquests or by tasting the delights brought on by the female Dark Rangers. However; she had a feeling that with them on the side of Good, she would be learning all she could from both Zedd and Discord. She had been compiling all the information into her personal records and had been secretly transferring the information to the computers at the Command Tower with every spell that she performed. She also knew what would happen to her when the monsters were inevitably destroyed and had an inkling of what her ultimate fate would be. As she had turned against the Morphin Grid and sided with the forces of Evil, she would be cursed to wander the Multiverse until the ending of everything. There was a small chance she would be shuffled off to the Morphin Grid's version of Purgatory…but that wasn't likely to happen unless she uncovered a vital piece of information about Zedd's operation.

Shaking off those loose thoughts on the chance that Zedd would pick them up, her mind returned to the task at hand. The Blue Shogunzord was nothing more than scraps of metal littering the grounds and probably wouldn't even be able to constitute a finger of a Megazord, let alone an entire arm. The Megazord would still be able to form with a piece missing as she had studied the various scenarios that existed throughout history of such an event. Fighting capacity would be down and the Power Sword could not be summoned but it would still perform well. Her thoughts were interrupted as Zedd began to chuckle under his breath, the volume slowly rising until he was cackling madly in some sort of psychotically induced fit. Reaching out for her personal records, she allowed her thoughts to seamlessly flow into the device before ejecting all of the stored data directly into the systems of the Command Tower. She had a strange feeling that her time on the physical plane was rapidly coming to a close – a feeling that was strengthened and confirmed by the tendrils of magic wrapping around her.

"Oh, Dimitria…I am most disappointed in you. You were to give yourself fully to the Dark cause, but instead you cling to the pathetic hopes of redeeming yourself. Why ask all these questions otherwise?"

Struggling to release the fear that had been gripping her heart, she stared impassively at the Dark Lord and allowed the barest hint of a smirk to cross her face. Summoning up a counter-spell of her own, she shattered the tendrils around her with a flick of her wrist. Turning away from the Dark Lord, she allowed the exhaustion she felt show for the briefest of moments before her determination pushed it down again. She allowed a small bit of weariness to creep into her voice as she looked at the celebrating Rangers in the viewscreens.

"Merely to cover all your bases, Lord Zedd. I know I will never achieve redemption for my betrayal of them and I am perfectly fine with that. However, you need to realise that there are certain things that –"

She was cut off mid-sentence by a terrible ripping sensation in her body. Looking down at herself, her eyes widened as she realised she was floating in mid-air and there were three distinct streams of energy spiralling out of her body. Allowing the slightest trace of alarm to cross her features, she looked over at the Dark Lord and swallowed in fear as his eyes became visible under his blood-red visor – a sure sign that he was incredibly angry. When he spoke, his voice was low and almost calm…yet there was a terrible undercurrent of rumbling disappointment.

"No, that is not it. You have been a good student for the weeks that you have been here. You know they will never come to save you. The Nightmare Mountains are too frightening for normal ponies to traverse without a special guard…and even if they came, I would crush them into dust. You have been playing at both sides and spitting out the information I have granted you back to the open mouths of those you left behind. They will not receive your information so readily now and will question all of it. You have no use to me now but energy to strengthen my monsters. But I am curious; do you have any last words before you vanish from the physical plane and are cast in the fires of the Damned?"

Dimitria swallowed and struggled hard against the magic binding her body, attempting in vain to recall the energy leeching out of her body. Clenching her teeth together as she slowly faded from the physical plane, she sent one last transmission into the Command Tower systems – the location of Zedd's Cavern. Satisfied that it was logged into the vast memory banks of the Main Computer Core, she relaxed and allowed herself to drift away. She could hear Zedd's frustration in his taunts but paid him no mind. The final nugget of information would slowly work its way up through the levels of security until it could be accessed by either the Princesses or Billy. Her consciousness began to fade and she summoned up enough of her strength to speak, albeit in a whisper that Zedd had to strain hard to hear.

"_I will see you there soon_…"

TBC…


	106. Predictable Unpredictability

AN: No, I haven't abandoned The Ultra Crystals…just need to get these six back to begin the lead-up to Chapter 200…

Chapter 106: Predictable Unpredictability

The power unleashed was terrifying.

Three blinding spheres of power and energy erupted around the battlefield as the Rangers' finishers slammed into the Ultra Brothers. The effect was compounded by the slight magical shimmer around each of the explosions due to the Princesses magic strengthening the slashes of the Dragonstrike Sword. As the fires vanished away into nothingness, Princess Celestia began lowering the sun slowly to signal the end of another day. Resting the massive blade on her shoulders, Twilight looked around her at the destruction that had been wrought on the one-beautiful Capital. There was hardly a building standing that didn't have some degree of structural damage and she stifled an ironic chuckle as she caught sight of the Fire Department building collapse under the weight of an out-of-control fire. Already, she could see Rarity wearily trotting over to the fires and summon her Gem Vulcan. The sound of rapid-fire water pellets filled the air as the Rangers slowly started erupting into cheers of relief and victory. The Ultra Rangers had dismissed their Assault Armour forms and Weihan was walking closer to the remains of the 'leader' of the Ultra Brothers and had pulled out some strange device from Celestia-knows-where.

"I fear the true battle is about to start. There is a forbidding aura in the air…"

Twilight glanced to her left and saw Princess Luna slowly trot towards her. None of the other Rangers had heard her words and the Princess of the Night was looking in the direction of the Everfree Forest. Twilight dismissed the Dragonstrike Sword and released the power of the Dragonfire Gem as her body returned to normal. A shiver ran over her body as she realised what Luna meant by the battle just beginning. Eyeing the unmoving 'Shogun' Zords around her, she wondered if the four machines could be brought together to form a Megazord now that one of the Zords was destroyed. If so…then there was no other option available to her. The Harmony Megazord Omega Mode would have to be summoned as it was potentially the strongest combination they had at their disposal. There was no doubt in her mind that the three monsters would also grow if the Evil Megazord came to life. The only problem she could think of were the thoughts that would threaten to consume them while in the Omega Mode.

"You'll just have to do what you think is right."

Blinking at the voice behind them, the two ponies turned to see Jason walking up to them with the White Ninjetti Ranger trailing behind. The Red Morphin Ranger was still clad in his Tyrant Armour and the fading sunlight made him look even stronger than the Ultra Rangers. In a single motion, the Red and White Rangers unlatched their helmets and slid them off their heads. Twilight's eyes widened under her helmet as she saw the face of the White Ninjetti Ranger…and the experience reflected in his eyes. Shaking herself away from the questions on her mind, she asked how Jason knew what she had been thinking. The Red Morphin Ranger barked out a short chuckle as a cool breeze blew across the battleground.

"It's in your stance, Twi. You have that brooding stance all Ranger Leaders seem to develop from time to time. Zedd's not going to stop his attack just because we've defeated his monsters. The Shogunzords are still around…even though the Blue one was destroyed. If Zedd doesn't attack soon, I'll be…"

Jason let his sentence trail off as a cold shiver ran down his spine. Around the battlefield, the Rangers stopped celebrating as each and every one of them felt the same shiver. Quickly replacing his helmet without the usual call, Tommy prepared himself for anything as he heard the familiar screeching call of the Falcon within him. Slowly making his way to the main group, he looked over to where the white winged unicorn was heavily leaning against the Yellow and Blue Equestrian Rangers. Introductions would have to be made after the battle and apologies said…but that would be best saved after the battle. He watched the two Rangers spread their wings and fly the white pony to a fortified tower a few metres away, depositing her on the balcony outside and returning to the ground as swiftly as they had left. Zordon had stated the Ninjazords would be with them always but he had felt the connection between his Falconzord break after he had gained the Black Dino Thunder Powers.

"Something's about to happen…something big."

"Gee, ya think?"

Rolling his eyes at the childish behaviour of the Ultra Rangers; he felt his esteem of them drop. From the sounds of things, they were no older than Justin had been when he had taken up the Power and they didn't really seem like the kinds of Rangers that he would want watching out for him. There was an air of unprofessionalism around their actions and if he didn't know better, he would have said that they didn't follow any rules. He felt as though he had thought that before but he dropped the thought with a mental shrug. A Ranger with no rules was a dangerous thing. He had seen too many instances of the damage Rangers with no boundaries could cause – the 'evil' Titanium Ranger and Trent being the two most prominent examples in his mind. He would have grouped himself into that batch as well but he had been under Rita's spell and his actions hadn't really been his own. He tried to tell himself that it didn't really matter that much if they had rules or not as they weren't from his 'home' dimension but the thought of Rangers in the Multiverse that didn't follow any rules whatsoever seriously rubbed him the wrong way. Whether or not they performed well in battle wasn't the issue here, although he was sure that would help to know if the city they protected was still standing.

Looking over at Kim, he smiled under his helmet as the pressure in the air ratcheted up another notch. Their reunion had come literally a week or so after Mesogog had been defeated…and was kicked off by what should have been a routine exchanging of details after she had accidentally crashed into the back of his jeep. To make matters all that more awkward, he had been giving Ethan and Trent a lift to the Cyber Café and they had given him strange looks as they watched him turn into a stammering mess. To her credit, Kim had taken everything in stride and had introduced herself to the two former Rangers without missing a beat. That was when the ice water had hit his nerves and his two ex-students found themselves trying desperately to cool off a volcano in the form of their ex-teacher. He had even been ready to pull out his Zeo Crystal and hunt down her mysterious 'lover' when Ethan had to literally slap some sense into him.

And that was when he found out their DNA powers hadn't vanished like he was expecting.

A literal splash of cold water later and he had cooled down enough to have a reasonably cool conversation with her. Two nights of long conversations later and they had worked out enough of their issues with the past – namely The Letter (complete with capitalisation) and all that mess surrounding it. Kim had stated that the man in The Letter had been a two-faced bastard that had a penchant for luring in girls with presents and affection…only to discard them in the wind if they didn't live up to his ideals. The whole ordeal had a rather…interesting ending as a run-in with Kim's fist had sent him into a short coma and then on a head-first path into a born-again Christian Service Worker. Two days after that and they were making up for lost time…making the rebuilding of the lab a rather slow process. Three weeks after that, he had proposed…and he had received word that the Magic Seal in Briarwood had broken due to a strange ground tremor. Throwing whatever they could into a bag, they had raced out the door in a flash…but had been stuck in Raven's Peak for a few days due to floodwater. Everything had turned out well, though.

"Here it comes…"

Four bright flashes of light temporarily blinded the Rangers and a mournful wail of regret and sorrow sent shivers of fear down their spines. The cake caked forms of the remaining Shogunzords began to levitate into the air while shedding off the majority of their sugary coating. The remains of the Blue Shogunzord levitated as well; along with various pieces of steel, wood and masonry. A cloud of dust and powdered sugar later and the Blue Shogunzord was…interestingly repaired. It still had its original shape and size as before but its armour was made of hardened plates of crystallised sugar, arms of flexible wood and legs of purest diamond. Trundling over to the other four Shogunzords, the Blue Shogunzord stood as if waiting for a sign of some sort.

That sign came in the form of three thick spirals of energy that lanced from the darkening sky like lightning on a clear day. As they smashed into the burning remains of the Ultra Brothers, the Rangers could feel echoes of great sorrow, regret and anger washing out of the waves but all knew who the energy was from. The streams of energy lasted only a minute or two and vanished as fast as they came…but the effects on the remains were as plain as day. Reflecting on it later, Weihan couldn't really explain exactly what had happened to the monsters and could only describe it as a 'reverse explosion' that resurrected and upgraded their forms. All three monsters now had a strange set of armour on their bodies that was eerily similar to the Ultra Rangers' Battle Armour – only spikier and more threatening. The coin emblems in the middle of their chests had images that reflected the dark nature of their 'morph': Ultraris had the image of a Yangchuanosaurus; Ninjora's was the gut-wrenching human botfly but Thundrar's image was a strange shape none of the Rangers could identify. There were horns one second that were replaced with webbed feet and wings the next. The static image seemed to be ever-changing – which was impossibility, but there was no denying that the impossible seemed to be right in front of their eyes. After a moment to admire their new armoured forms, the Ultra Brothers began to grow until they towered over the Rangers. At the same time, there was a clanking of metal and machinery as the four Shogunzords and the Blue patchwork Shogunzord combined into the towering form of the Shogun Megazord. Narrowing his eyes, Tommy could instantly see that the Blue arm was the weakest part of the combination…but he also knew that destroying it wouldn't guarantee victory.

"Four targets…who goes where? Twilight, what's the call?"

The Purple Ranger looked at the monsters and Megazord and then at the Rangers around her. It would stand to reason that the best method of attack was splitting up the Rangers into the teams that they had used to destroy the monsters the first time around…but even she could see the glaring issue. With the towering Megazord thrown into the mix, they would be effectively leaving it free to destroy…well, to destroy what hadn't been ravaged already: namely the Palace and the Command Tower. On the other hoof, she knew Jason had a Zord of his own but the question of whether or not it could stand up against a Megazord was an entirely different one. She didn't want the destruction of a Zord on her hooves as much as the other Rangers but there was no other way…or was there? Thinking swiftly as they leapt out of the way of the 'traditional giant monster stomp', Twilight opened her mouth to speak.

"Split up and attack the monsters you were attacking before. Billy and Jason; you can either help the Ninjetti or go against the Megazord. Either way, we need to move fast!"

The battle wasn't over yet…

TBC…


	107. Steel Hearts

Chapter 107: Steel Hearts

It was hard work, but they had managed to pull it off.

Twilight had realised that a Zord Battle in the city was not a good idea, as it would hinder more than help. That meant that they had to corral the monsters and the Shogun Megazord out of the city…which was easier said than done. They had begun attacking with small-arms fire at the feet on the monsters and had lured them to a clear position where Princess Luna could cast a wide-net teleportation spell that was augmented by the magic of Rarity, herself and her brother, Shining Armour. She had promised him an explanation for her activities…but had been floored when he revealed that he had already known about her Rangering duties. A few seconds later, it was her turn to be floored as he revealed that – when the rebuilding process was finally completed again – he would be getting married to her foal sitter; Cadence. The revelation had stunned her for a few minutes and she had only snapped out of her stupor when Applejack had been thrown into her.

However, the distance that could be teleported wasn't that great. The monsters were still out of Canterlot…but only just. They were recovering from the magically induced dizziness and the Shogun Megazord was apparently rebooting its systems automatically…which meant they only had a small window of time for the Zords to be summoned. Twilight stepped up and took the lead as the other ponies filed in behind her. She inhaled deeply and prayed the battle in the Omega Mode would dispel them of their bad memories.

"We need Harmonyzord Power; Now!"

From deep within the Command Tower, the six equine Zords stirred to life as their masters called out to them. Powerful servos and hydraulic pumps lifted the legs up and in front of them as they began walking and then galloping towards the doors of the Zord Bay. As the doors fully opened a split second before they arrived, the majestic Harmonyzords rushed out into the evening light. The Rangers gasped as they saw shimmers of light reflecting off the sleek, metallic hides of their Zords and they felt confident that they would be able to defeat the monster…even in the Omega Mode. As they neared the battlefield, the Zords stopped – almost as if waiting for their numbers to swell before the final push. Not to be outdone in any way by his first creations in Equestria, Billy stepped up and thrust his right hand into the air. For a split second, it seemed as if there were blue tendrils of energy leaping from his fingertips.

"Wolf Shogunzord, Power Up!"

A low and liquid howl washed over the battlefield, sending tingles of fear down the spines of the Ultra Brothers and most of the Rangers present. From her vantage point on top of the Command Tower, Princess Luna's horn glowed once as she raised the moon over the darkened land. Silvery streaks of light glinted over layers of metallic blue 'fur' and shadowed the silhouette of the animal that was running through the portion of the Everfree Forest that was behind Canterlot. As the shape stopped on a high ridge, its eyes lit up for the briefest of moments and outlined the animalistic shape of its head. Thunder rumbled overhead from an unseen source as the Wolf Shogunzord leapt from its perch to stand next to the Magic Harmonyzord with what could only have been described as a smirk on its face. As the Ultra Brothers turned towards it, Billy muttered something under his breath and the Wolf Shogunzord's Cryo Lasers blasted from its mouth. The white-tinged blue beams impacted against the legs of the four beings of evil in front of the Rangers and froze them to the ground solidly. Of course, the ice began to melt almost instantly but the Rangers would have enough time needed for them to summon and show off their Zords. Rolling his eyes under his helmet, Jason stepped forwards and thrust his Power Sword into the air.

"Tyrannosaurus Dinozord Power!"

As if strengthened by the Tyrant Armour, the ground ripped apart violently. Geysers of lava erupted from the tears in the earth as a bellowing roar reverberated through Equestria. Much to the shock of the Ninjetti, the ground buckled violently twice before the familiar lurching form of the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord exploded from the magma simmering below Equestria's surface. As the Dinozord freed itself from its Holding Bay, Jason could see there were a few external changes to the Zord that made it look more menacing. The claws that had been moulded on before looked like they were retractable and ended in sharper points. The tail seemed thicker and stronger and the armour on it had short stubs moulded onto it to simulate crocodilian skin. The most drastic change that he could see was the head of the Dinozord. The familiar blocky head was completely redesigned and redeveloped to look like the dinosaur the Zord was designed off. Teeth of varying sizes protruded from its mouth and if he squinted in the light reflecting off the lava pools, Jason could see a tongue of sorts resting on the bottom jaw.

"We didn't change the Zord, if that's what you're thinking. Will wanted to, but I shot the idea down."

Nodding absently at the Orange Ranger, Jason watched as the massive Dinozord turned in the direction of the monsters and roared a challenge at the immobile Shogun Megazord. Although its lower body was frozen to the ground beneath it, the Megazord raised its White arm as if accepting the challenge presented to it. The ground trembled with each step the Tyrannosaurus took towards its opponent; leaving slightly glowing footprints in its wake. As with the Harmonyzords and the Wolf Shogunzord, the Dinozord stopped a short distance away from the monsters and growled harshly at its opponent. Jason's fingers twitched around the handle of the Power Sword as he saw the Ultra Rangers step forward. He prepared himself for the calls and the sounds of the Ultra Ninjazords as they raced toward the battlefield…which was why he was surprised at the next voice.

"Let me show you how a fleet of Zords is summoned the proper way."

Rolling his eyes under his helmet, Weihan stepped back into position and allowed the White Ninjetti to take the centre stage. He guessed that this Tommy was just as cocky and as arrogant as the one in his home dimension had been at first. He hoped everything was all right as there hadn't really been time for a check-up call during the preparations for the siege. Stifling a laugh at the look the Pink Ranger shot Tommy, the Orange Ranger watched the Ninjetti summon their Zords…with a remarkably long song-and-dance routine.

"Ninjetti Zords, we summon you from high!"

The Ninjetti raised their left hands into the air and punched out upon the completion of the last word. From the starry skies above, six beams of colour-coded light blasted down and struck the five Ninjetti and Billy. The Midnight Blue Ranger's eyes widened behind his helmet as he felt the Wolf Spirit inside him come to the surface to temporarily eclipse his Acceptance Powers. Fighting it for a moment, Billy relaxed and accepted the enhancements that the Ninjetti Power provided. Although his suit didn't undergo a dramatic change in appearance, there was one change that would always remind him of the Ninjetti Power flowing within him. The gold star that sat in the centre of his chest transformed into a smaller version of his Ninjetti Power Coin and the same Power Coin symbol was on both cuffs on the top of his boots. Looking up – but without doing the strange routine – he saw the six forms of the Ninjetti Zords swooping down from the sky. Looking closer as the Zords came within view, he could see the Wolf Ninjetti Zord slowly turning into an ethereal form of energy that gravitated towards the Wolf Shogunzord.

The energy Wolfzord merged seamlessly with the Wolf Shogunzord. As with Billy, the addition of the energy didn't seem to change its outward appearance…much. Its armour seemed to turn a fraction of a shade lighter and its teeth appeared to lengthen slightly…but that was about it. Chuckling under his breath at the lack of additional armaments the energy had provided, Billy turned to watch the rest of the Ninjetti Zords' arrival. The five remaining Zords made a lazy loop above the Rangers before settling down in front of the Harmonyzords and the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord – or in the case of the Falconzord; on top of the Dinozord's head. Humorously, Jason's Zord seemed aggravated that the Falconzord was perched on its head and began slightly shaking its head around in an attempt to dislodge the stubborn bird. As Jason shot a look at Tommy, the White Ninjetti Ranger laughed under his helmet as he allowed the 'rookie' Rangers to summon their Zords. However, what he saw made him stop laughing abruptly and question his initial impression of the Ultra Rangers.

The six Ultra Rangers stepped forwards and arranged themselves in a V formation with the Orange Ranger at the point. In unison, the Rangers thrust their right hands into the sky and cried out in a single voice that rose above the other noises of the battlefield.

"Ninjazord Power!"

Six flashes of light temporarily lit up the night as the six mechanical animals emerged seemingly out of thin air. Compared to the Ninjetti Zords, they were more menacing and were armed to the teeth. The Crocodile Ninjazord lifted its head into the air as if to sniff out its opponents before blasting the frozen creatures before it with twin streams of fire from its mouth. For the first few seconds, the Ultra Brothers welcomed the searing heat as the ice melted instantly…but they soon regretted the decision as the intensity slowly rose. Not to be outdone by their Leader, the other five Ultra Ninjazords opened their mouths and blasted the beings in front of them with Ninja Energy from the Light side of the Ultra Grid. As the power splashed across Ninjora, the armoured monster howled in pain as the Dark Ninja Energy within it was slowly cancelled out by the Light. After a short moment of continual firing, the Ultra Ninjazords stopped their attack and positioned themselves beside the Harmonyzords; the Crocodile sitting closer to the Kindness Harmonyzord.

"Individual attacks first and then go to the Megazord for the final push."

The final phase was about to begin.

TBC…


	108. Shogun Battles

Chapter 108: Shogun Battles

The three behemoths circled each other warily.

Seated in the cockpit of the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord, Jason looked around him at the changes that had been made to both the interior and the weapon banks. As if on some ingrained instinct, he had forgone the Power Crystal summoning and had slid his Power Sword into the console in front of him – blade first. He had been expecting sparks to fly out and the Dinozord to power down completely but when that didn't happen, he slowly opened his eyes just in time for a retinal scan to take place. His identity confirmed, the cockpit had transformed around him into something that would look futuristic to the Time Force Rangers. The handle of his Power Sword split in half and formed a lap bar of sorts, while pedals formed under his feet for the direct control of the legs and thrusters. Folding out of the walls closest to his arms were two horizontal control sticks that looked similar to motorcycle handlebars with a line of buttons within reach of his fingertips.

"So, how are we going to do this?"

Any reply Jason might have gotten was cut off as the Shogun Megazord lurched into action. Bringing both its arms back, it punched out and struck the two Zords; sending them flying back. Switching off the alarms that warned him of various system damages, Jason stared at the machine on his viewscreen and activated the eye lasers. Twin pulses of yellow energy shot out of the eyes of the Zord and impacted against the chest plating of the Megazord. Although the energy didn't seem to do much damage, Jason knew that the more devastating effects would be felt on the systems below. Through the infodump that had happened seconds after the cockpit had changed, he knew the eye lasers were infused with something that would allow any weak points to show up on his scanners. So far, there was only one rather obvious weak point in the reconstructed arm and Jason decided to attack directly. Pulling back on the control sticks, he made the Dinozord rear up to its full height before whirling around to deliver a powerful strike with its tail. The Red Morphin Ranger swore that a few microseconds before impact, energy of some sort seemed to shoot out of the stubs on the tail…but he would have to review the footage after the battle to see for sure.

The blow didn't seem to have much effect, through the two Rangers could see that the wood that had been in the armour had cracked and splintered apart which made the arm a fraction weaker. Roaring in frustration, the Dinozord opened its mouth to shoot a slightly weaker version of its sonic pulse into the chest of the Shogun Megazord. Jason could see the energy ripple through the air like ripples on water before it smashed into the chest decoration of the humanoid robot. There was a great explosion as the sound of bending and tearing metal filled the air, causing the three Ultra Brothers to stop in their tracks and stare at the damaged Zord staggering back. As the smoke and steam from ruptured bents cleared, Jason gaped at the large hole that had once been the strange Japanese-like character on the chest of the Zord. By all rights, the sonic pulse had been on its weakest setting and shouldn't have done so much damage to the exterior of the machine…and the eye laser weak point scanners hadn't said that the chest was any weaker.

From his vantage point in the Wolf Shogunzord, Billy's eyes widened as he realised why so much damage had been dealt. When he had been constructing the Harmonyzords, he had noticed that the metal armour seemed to be slightly weaker than usual and had run some tests to see why. Against Dimitria's wishes, he had hooked up a piece of the armour to his Power Coin and had blasted both that piece and a normal piece with a cutting laser turned up to maximum. The laser had cut through the unpowered armour but had barely made a scratch on the piece hooked up to the Power Coin. The Power was the key. Without the aid of the Power, the metal robot in front of them was just slightly weaker than what a normal Megazord would have been…but it had none of the magical armour. The thought had been nagging in his mind ever since he had seen the Blue Shogunzord blow up after being hit with the Ninjetti Power Blaster. Even with the addition of the Acceptance Lance, the beam should have just barely penetrated the first layer of armour and not sliced straight through as it had.

"Jason, it doesn't have any magical armour covering it. I'll disable it and you finish it off."

Jason nodded and accessed the weapons menu on the HUD. There were lots of new options that hadn't been present before and there was even an option to combine into a Megazord formation with upgraded Dinozords. Unfortunately, there would be no seeing what that combination would look like as the Dinozords were all but extinct. Selecting the best option, he nodded to himself and settled back in the chair to await Billy's signal.

"Disable the Zord…easier said than done."

Billy muttered the words to himself as his eyes roved around the Shogun Megazord. Keeping his Zord in its animal mode meant he had agility and speed on his side…but not much in the way of weapons. The Cryo Lasers, sonic emitters and jagged blade would be good while it lasted; but the Zord Invincibility that had been present in the previous battle against Blackened Heart was almost depleted. He supposed it had been Ranger's Luck that it had managed to survive the first blow of the Shogun Megazord…but that relatively light attack had taken off a large chunk of his forward shields. Flicking a switch on one of the Control Levers, he set the turrets on the back of the Zord to automatic fire and moved the Zord forward.

Blasts of stray energy peppered the battlefield as monster and Zord alike scrambled to shield themselves from the wayward lasers. Glancing on the screens in front of him, he saw one laser pierce the upper arm of the Ninjor-themed Ultra Brother and expose its chest for a second for a barrage of firepower from the Ninjetti Megafalconzord to send it flying back and blossom into a reverberating explosion. He saw the Omega Mode of the Harmony Megazord locked in combat with the manticore monster and prayed that the girls were powering through their fears and doubts. Where the Ultra Ninjazords were…he couldn't see. Leaping into the air, he activated the laser emitters on the claws. The weeks of training had allowed him to add slight improvements onto the design of the Zord and increase its offensive capabilities tenfold. One of these improvement was about to be tested for the first time. If all had gone right, there would be a slight increase of battle tactics he could use. If not…well; he would cross that bridge when it came.

"Laser Claws, engage!"

Billy let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as a blue and green shimmer descended from the emitters, covering the claws in a coating of continually cycling lasers. Aiming for the joint that attached the White Shogunzord to the main body, the Midnight Blue Ranger moved the Zord into striking range and attacked. Afterimages of blue-green light streaked through the air after the rapidly descending limb and the sound of tearing metal rang over Equestria once more. The joint that had locked onto the White Shogunzord finally fell apart under the stresses of battle and the defunct arm fell to the ground in an unmoving heap. Why Zedd didn't just control it again with his magic, Billy didn't know…but he wasn't complaining. Sparks from the damaged circuits fell from the fresh hole, even as the last of the embers died from the wound in its chest. Backing up the Zord, he took careful aim at its legs with his sonic emitters when the eyes of the Megazord flashed once.

Swallowing hard, he saw the energy crackle around the Blue Arm of the Zord and the flash of fire and lightning that signalled the summoning of the Fire Sabre. As the flame-like blade emerged from the fish-like cross guard, Billy's eyes saw there were differences in the unpowered blade. The most striking thing was that the Fire Sabre no longer could change its blade into a fire jet and it looked like there were cracks running up the length of the metal. Not wanting to waste any time in mulling over the miniscule details of it all, he aimed with the Cryo Lasers and pushed them up to the highest setting.

"Cryo Blast!"

Pulling back on the triggers, a thick beam of icy energy lanced through the air. Impacting against the lower legs, the head of the Zord moved up slowly to encase the Shogun Megazord in a thick coating of ice. Applying more and more energy to the combined Cryo Lasers, Billy checked the power cycler and subtly changed the flow of energy to the laser emitters. Under the pressure of the icy barrage, the Shogun Megazord began to slow its movements until it had completely iced over. Alarms flashing in the cockpit, Billy stopped the attack and allowed Jason to step forward in the upgraded Dinozord. He couldn't help but notice the similarities of the machine in front of him and the Ultra Dinozords that he had seen the Orange and Purple Rangers use before and hoped that the destructive potential was as high as the Ultra Rangers'.

Tightening his hands around the control bars, Jason eyed the metallic monstrosity in front of him with a keen eye. The ice wasn't showing signs of melting and whatever weak signs of movement the Megazord could have made had long since stopped. His scanner was showing the entire body of the Zord as a giant weak spot and he grinned broadly as he initiated the finisher that would send the Megazord in front of him to the scrap heap once more. Even though the Megazord didn't have the magical armour on it, attempting to destroy it with the Sonic Pulse would be an exercise in futility…or extreme patience. However, there was one option that jumped out at him and promised him that the Evil Zord in front of him would be completely destroyed. The Ninjetti Megafalconzord was standing to one side over the dying embers of its opponent and he could hear the electrical crackles in the air as the Ultra Rangers' Megazord initiated its finisher.

"Lava Pulse!"

The eyes of the Tyrannosaurus blazed red as the massive machine lowered its head to the ground. The mouth opened and he could almost feel the tongue withdrawing from the firing line. Two turrets at the back of the Dinozord's throat rose up and hummed with power as they prepared to activate. When they fired off, it was within microseconds of each other – flashes of red and white energy springing from the maw of the massive beast. The energy smashed into the churned-up ground and burrowed down for the briefest of moments before zeroing in on its target. Rising the Dinozord back to its full height, Jason watched the plumes of fire and rock burst from the ground as the combination Sonic Pulse and fireball blasted towards the Megazord. As the payload drew closer, he could see the ice covering the head of the humanoid Zord shatter from the heat and he grinned. A brilliant flash of light illuminated the lands as the energy enveloped the ice sculpture. Hardened steel melted within seconds as the reactor, powered by Zedd's dark magics, exploded.

The Shogun Megazord wouldn't be rising ever again.

TBC…


	109. Mass Questions

AN: Yes, there is a reference to The Rangers of the Elements (The one in the Ultra Crystals universe that technically hasn't happened yet) here.

Chapter 109: Mass Questions

The Zords combined smoother than they had done so previously.

Whatever new Powers had been unlocked within them, Tommy could feel the difference. The combination of all five Zords was over in a heartbeat and the combination hovered proudly in front of Ninjora. He knew why Billy had opted out of joining them as the Shogun Megazord was too much for Jason to handle alone – upgraded Dinozord or not. However, the Power had seen to it that the Ninjetti Megafalconzord wouldn't go around missing an arm either; the Ape Zord had doubled in size, split in half and formed both arms without Rocky having to do so much as lift a finger.

Even though the monster in front of them had been powered up by an unknown source of energy, it still looked as thought it would be defeated if it was hit with a strong breeze. The only parts of it that didn't look like a rejected zombie was the new armour it had gained from whatever energy had slammed into its body. As it drifted closer, the botfly image seemed to move within the confines of the golden disc. Slowly, it raised its blue and gold sword into the air and brought it down on the gestalt in front of it. It would have been an effective move if it didn't move like it was swimming in cement. Having seen the attack coming a mile away, Tommy made the Megazord take one step back before checking the options for finishers. Around him, he could sense the waning attention levels of the Rangers as they good-naturedly grumbled under their breaths about fighting the most decrepit monster. And, of course, there were the discussions of the so-called Ultra Rangers and why they were so powerful.

"I dunno you guys. Maybe their enemy is some skeletal dragon thing that comes down with some energy beings to destroy the world once in a while."

Rocky idly drummed his fingers on the console in front of him – careful not to accidentally hit any buttons. He had been thinking of the Orange Ranger after seeing that wickedly cool armour he and the others had pulled out of nowhere to nuke their monster…but he also had his private doubts. The Power Rangers had to operate under a strict regimen of rules and discipline otherwise they would be no better than the monsters they fought against. Still, it had stirred up his creative side into dreaming up fanciful scenarios about the battles that had been fought in order to make a name for themselves. He imagined them trudging through the very fires of Hell itself to gain enough power to defeat their enemies and conjured of horrific monsters and beings that thwarted their plans at every turn. He wished he had a pad to write the ideas down as they would work well into the story he had been writing before the kidnapping.

Honestly, the very thought that he had been used by Zedd to attack the Rangers of this world was enough to make him want to scrub at his body until it was raw. Having never really had the 'opportunity' to turn Evil, he always thought himself as incorruptible by Evil's power…a thought that had persisted up to the strange pain and portal journey. Now, he knew that he was no more immune to Evil's influence as the next guy; the only difference was that now he was an active Ranger again. Feeling the Zord shift beneath him, he looked up to see the Megazord take another step back as the monster swung its fearsome blade down. He wondered why the monster even bothered to fight them in a hopeless battle but guessed it was ingrained into their minds to fight until the last possible moment. He doubted the being in front of them was doing much thinking now as there was strange blue goo dripping out of the holes in its heads.

"I doubt it, Rocky. Maybe their enemy is Dark Spectre and the Countdown didn't happen in their world. A being as powerful as Dark Spectre could have posed a real threat if he attacked Earth directly."

Adam nodded at his wife's words and looked around him idly. The fact that there were extremely powerful Rangers in the Multiverse didn't seem to bother him as much as the others. Infinite worlds meant infinite possibilities and infinite Ranger variations of colour, age and gender. Pushing out the disturbing image of himself as a female out of his mind, the Black Ninjetti opened his mouth to speak.

"I wonder what makes them so powerful? If this is truly the power of the Ultra Grid, then they should be sluggish while in their Zords."

As the others nodded absently, Adam racked his brain for the image that had popped up for a split second. Something about seeing a giant green turtle attack him with swift blows and bursts of speed. Shaking his head slightly, he abandoned the search in his mind and looked around the battlefield. The Tyrannosaurus Dinozord and the Wolf Shogunzord were circling around the Shogun Megazord for what seemed to be the billionth time and the horse-like Zords of the local Rangers were combining to form an imposing Megazord of their own. So far, they seemed to be the only Rangers actively engaged in a battle as he couldn't see where the Ultra Rangers had gone off to.

"I think it has more to do with the damage the monster sustained. The native Rangers seem to be having much more trouble than we are."

Looking up at his wife's words, Adam could see the fully formed Megazord of the native Rangers struggle to push back the manticore monster's tail…but it seemed that the native Rangers were struggling to pilot the Zord. It couldn't have been their first time forming the Megazord as the temporary invincibility would protect them; it seemed almost as if they were reluctant to pilot the Megazord for some unfathomable reason. He hoped they snapped out of it soon. Even though the monster wasn't that much quicker than the beast they were up against, it would overpower the reluctant Rangers quickly if they didn't get their act together. After all, what would cause a team of Rangers to not want to pilot the Megazord?

"Powering up the weapons systems for the finisher; we need to get its arms away from its chest."

Looking up at the words of the Pink Ranger, Rocky stifled a groan of frustration as Ninjora's arms were now covering the golden emblem on its chest. The Red Ranger switched the frustrated groan to a sigh of relief as the lifelike image of the human botfly had really creeped him out. Nodding absently, he flicked off the switches in front of him to allow full control of the Ape Zord's weapon systems to the White Ranger and flicked an eye over the battlefield once again. The Megazord of the native Rangers had recovered somewhat and was now fighting back with slightly more force than the monster in front of it was putting out. It seemed to have a giant pink flyswatter in its hands and was beating the monster back in a strangely comedic manner. Rocky wanted to rub his eyes to check that they were still working…but chose to blink them hard a few times instead. Judging from the shaking of heads he could see on the edge of his vision, he wasn't alone in determining the workings of the eyes. A flash of pink light later and the flyswatter had changed to a red-hot frying pan. Giving up on the strange inner workings of the equine Rangers, Rocky flipped the last of the switches and turned back to the White Ranger.

Tommy shook his head violently as if dismissing the images from his mind and focused on the battle in front of him. Glancing down at the scanners, he blinked in surprise as they detected the movements of the Ultra Rangers' Megazord and the Ultra Brother it was fighting against for a split second before the scanners dropped out again. He wondered if there was some sort of time dilation field or something like it in effect. Shaking his head at the errant thought, he knew he would only get a clear explanation of the tactics and strategy used after the battle. Gripping the control stick in front of him created out of the armoured Saba, he waited patiently for an opening. He wished he could activate the DNA powers still present in his body on the outside of the Megazord, but he knew that would put an immense strain on his body and would risk burning out the powers completely…or burning him from the inside out.

"Energy spike detected in the vicinity of Billy's Zord; he's preparing to fire something."

Nodding at Tanya's statement, he directed a fraction of the power in the weapons to the shields and waited for the inevitable barrage. Through the viewscreen in front of him, he could see the native Megazord summon up a circular shield of its own and hold it over its chest. A few seconds later, light blue energy bolts blasted the air in front of the Megazord and impacted against the arms of the monster. Jerking back the control stick to avoid being hit with the freezing energy, Tommy flicked the safety off and began the pre-finisher checks. Satisfied that everything was working up to the required specifications; he nodded once and initiated the finisher with a resounding cry of victory.

"Ninjetti Flash!"

TBC…


	110. Drawing Power

Chapter 110: Drawing Power

"Where the fuck did it go?"

Weihan scanned the air in front of him for any sign of the massive monster. Attacking in the individual Zords had gotten old really fast and their hand had been forced to combine into the Ultra Ninja Megazord Beta. The Crocodile had transformed into a warrior state, much to Weihan's chagrin as he hoped he would have a Zord in his arsenal that _couldn't_ transform into a humanoid state. Eliza and Sarah had begun the light-hearted teasing of his slight frustration as their Zords changed into a leg and an arm respectively. He had pushed the teasing out of his mind and had seen the transformation on the screen in front of him. For the other arm and leg, Will's Eaglehawk and Rebecca's Huntsman had transformed and the four limbs had easily slid over the existing arms and legs in a similar fashion as the original Thunder Megazord. That had left Rachelle's Elephant Seal Zord to transform into a set of sturdy armour that slid over the chest of the Megazord. The head had also detached to twist and change into a tusked helmet that gave the head a fearsome appearance. This had also led to more jokes at his expense about Rachelle 'sliding over him in _that_ way'.

They had barely settled down into the cockpit when Ultraris had blasted a ripple of barely-visible energy at the monster closest to it – the Ninjor themed creature – and had rocketed up into the upper atmosphere at an alarming rate. Attempts to track the creature had met with failure even with the highly advanced radar and scanners in the gestalt Zord, but what data they had been able to receive left them all horrified. Somehow, it had siphoned off nearly all of the energy that had been – for lack of a better word – implanted and was using it to add to its abilities. Weihan didn't know if the rocketing ability was inherent in all three monsters but, judging on the way the other Rangers were doing, he sorely doubted it. Carefully taking an eye off the scanners, he looked down at the battlefield. Jason and Billy were circling around the Shogun Megazord for the millionth time; the Ninjetti Rangers were lazily sidestepping the painfully slow attacks of their monster and the Equestrian Rangers…

"Incoming!"

Jerking himself out of his thoughts, he yanked back on the control lever in front of him just in time to avoid the majority of a powerful blast that would have sent them spiralling out of the sky. Alarms shrieked and lights flashed as sparks exploded out of the overloaded controls and cracked screens. The Megazord beneath them shuddered as the residual vibrations from the blast continued to bounce off the interior spaces. He could hear his Rangers call out the damage reports and idly wondered what use an internal mass spectrometer would be good for and if he could ever shrink one down to implant into his Battle Armour.

"Wait, what was that about the shields?"

"Shields are holding steady at 85%...even with that glancing blow. We're toast if the monster hits us full on."

Swearing under his breath, the Orange Ranger wondered why the invincibility factor hadn't kicked in yet. This was the first time that the Ninja Megazord Beta had been formed…but not the first time that the Ultra Ninjazords had been summoned. Swearing yet again, he mentally cursed himself for forgetting that the Ultra Ninjazords had been summoned previously and had probably used up the invincibility factor during the assault on the Moon Fortress. What small amount that had been retained after the battle had probably been used up by the 'blocking' of that one blast…which meant that they were no better than sitting ducks if they didn't move. Pushing the control lever down, the Megazord dropped from the upper atmosphere for a brief moment – just in time to avoid the spikes that were flung from above. The tip of a spike scratched the armoured glass of the viewscreen but didn't penetrate fully. He could hear the others also talking about weapon options and finisher possibilities but paid it no mind. Yanking up the control lever, the Megazord returned to its original position in the sky as he glanced down at the power flow to the jets and thrusters. They were holding at a steady level but they had dropped considerably from the start of the battle…even though the power could replenish itself over time. If they could only get one clear hit…

"All weapons – five second burst! Light up the sky!"

Heads were nodded and weapons were primed as the other Ultra Rangers scrambled to carry out the order. He had direct control of the Megazord's firepower; but he would trust the others with the firing of the individual weapons. Checking and rechecking to ensure that the blasts didn't interfere with the fights of the other Rangers, be opened up a communications channel to the Command Tower.

"Princesses and Spike, it's going to get a tad bright for a few seconds."

Not waiting for a reply, he closed the communications channel and tapped into his Ninjetti Powers and the ability to hide in plain sight. Through talks with Ninjor, he had been assured that the innate ability he had used to throw off the Wraith would be able to be used on a massive piece of machinery such as a Megazord. It would drain him slightly, but he doubted that he would be engaging in any battles for a while after this. Even if he was plunged head first into a battle, the slight power drain wouldn't make that much of a difference…unless there was no 'breather' time.

"Weapons free…fire all weapons!"

What followed next was completely missed by the Rangers fighting on the ground, but was seen by the Princesses and Spike in the Command Tower. The upper atmosphere of Equestria lit up as bright as day as lasers, cannons and blasters of all shapes and sizes pounded the air around the Megazord with a concentrated burst. A bellow of pain was heard from the monster as it flickered into view like a dying computer screen. No matter where it tried to dodge, Weihan always made sure there were at least a few projectiles in its path. The five seconds felt like an eternity but allowed him to gain a few precious seconds to set up the finisher. Being at the head of the controls allowed him to see more information than the others could and he knew he had to finish the battle quickly. He didn't know if it was still drawing power from the other monsters or not but there was one fact that was undeniable.

The damned thing was slowly getting stronger.

It was only a matter of time before it fully absorbed the powers of the monsters and moved onto the Ultra Rangers. When their powers had been drained, it would all be over for Equestria. Death and destruction would reign supreme and everypony would die within moments of being born. Ultraris would break free of Zedd, Discord and whoever tried to control it and transcend dimensions to kill everything in its path. He was determined to stop the creature in its tracks here and now.

"Activate Fang Gauntlet! Increase acceleration and zero in on the monster!"

A muted flash of muddy brown later and the Ninja Megazord's Fang Gauntlet had materialised on its left hand. As the name implied, the Fang Gauntlet was comprised of the head of the Huntsman Ninjazord and its fangs were fully charged with combined Light energy from the Ultra Grid. Weihan was banking on the direct link to the Ultra Grid being able to overpower the thirteenth Crystal and destroy the monster for the last time. The only problem was that the flash of light – no matter how muted it had been – had served as a beacon of sorts to the monster, even with the bright discharges from the weapons. Turning the control lever around in a half-circle, he whirled the Zord around to avoid a spiked shoulder charge from the frenzied creature in front of them. Tapping on a few controls, the right arm of the Megazord shot out and grabbed onto the spiky sides of the monster. Sparks flew everywhere as the bony shards pierced the flimsy armour of the hands and damaged several key servomotors…which had the added effect of the hand tightening its grip on the side of the struggling monster.

"Huntsman Strike!"

Turning the left hand around so the fangs pointed up, the Ninja Megazord swiftly brought its arm up in a vicious uppercut that sunk the fangs into the fleshy area under its lower jaw. Within three microseconds, the sensors on the fangs had registered the presence of Dark Ultra Energy and the direct link to the Ultra Grid was beginning to open. Bright beams of pure Ultra Energy lanced out of the fangs and smashed head-on to its opposing energy source. For exactly seven seconds, the Fang Gauntlet poured pure Grid Energy into the monster and overloaded its internal capacitors. In two swift moves, it ripped out both the weapon and the tightly clenched hand. Both objects came away with a small spray of blood and a small piece of monster muscle. The Ultra Rangers watched the gradual instability of the monster as it succumbed to the warring energies within. Jerking the control lever back on instinct, Weihan watched Ultraris give out one last wail of howling pain before exploding in a fireball that dwarfed the light of the earlier effect. Looking away from the floating embers of the monster, he looked down to see the Harmony Megazord fighting the remaining monster.

It was all up to them.

TBC…


	111. Fighting Insanity

Chapter 111: Fighting Insanity

They could do it if they focused.

That was the mantra running through Fluttershy's mind as she sat in the cockpit of the Omega Mode and looked at the manticore-like monster attacking them. Twilight had suggested that they form their strongest combination and attempt to push through their doubts and memories in the process. With the monster outside the Zord banging on the armour and battering them with its tail, it was a literal trial by fire; especially when one considered the sparks that erupted around them whenever they took a hit. For her part, Fluttershy had scored a few good hits on the monster with the arm blades on the Kindness Zord; but as it was just three out of six Rangers actually fighting, the blows were ineffective.

Either out of sheer desperation or focused planning, Twilight had managed to discover a few new weapons that added to the arsenal of the Omega Mode. The first had been a laser blast that was emitted from the visor and had imprinted a star-shaped scorch mark on the body of the monster. That had been good for a few blasts until the monster had sidestepped the final blast and it had destroyed a snow-covered mountain in the distance. The second weapon was a thin laser blade that protruded from just above the wrist of Pinkie's Zord. It gave them an advantage over the monster but that strategy had also been discarded after a few half-hearted pokes.

"C'mon, y'all; we need to focus on the monster!"

Pinkie smiled softly under her helmet at Applejack's words of encouragement. Her mind was clouded with doubt and the thoughts of those that had died during the battle with Squeezer. Although the monster had long since been destroyed, the memories were fresh in her mind. On one hoof, she knew she was being silly – well; sillier than usual. Accepting the mantle of a Power Ranger had meant that she would have been confronted with the very notion of death and civilian deaths sooner or later and, in a way, it was a good thing that it had happened to them so early in the campaign. However, on the other hoof…to get over the memories of those who had died would mean forgetting the very thing they were fighting for. Tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes as she moved the Pink arm of the Megazord up to feebly block a downward strike from the monster. She didn't know why she was crying or who she was crying over…but in her heart, she knew she had a job to do. Closing her eyes and connecting with her Element Crystal, she thought about those around her who continued to fight no matter what was thrown at them.

Billy was the first to cross her thoughts. The human Ranger had seen so much death and destruction in his dimension and, yet, he was still willing to fight the good fight and take up the Power once more. He was the one who had controlled the Harmony Megazord after their breakdown and had fought with all of his might to protect his adopted world from Blackened Heart – even going so far as to stand before Princess Celestia unarmed and unmorphed. The next faces to swim up into her mind were those of the Ultra Rangers – more specifically, the face of Weihan. There was more sorrow in those eyes than Billy's, but yet he always got up and fought for whatever world he was protecting. She remembered how he had volunteered himself in the defence of Equestria when Applejack and Rainbow Dash had been switched and how it always seemed that he was coming to the rescue to defend them from a treat from his world or…something to do with a spell that didn't take. The last face in her mind was the new arrival to their lives – Jason. His eyes reflected a soul-destroying pain that she didn't want to ask him about but didn't seem to hinder his ability to keep his mind focused on the task at hand. Hay, he had even found the strength within himself to power up his armour in the last battle! Compared to what they had seen; their doubts and sadness seemed rather…petty.

"Twilight, can you transfer control of the Megazord to me?"

The words were out of her mouth before she had even registered them in her mind. Slowly opening her eyes, she could see Twilight cock her head curiously at her and shrug once before nodding. New information poured into her mind regarding the controls of the Megazord but she pushed it to one side and connected herself to her Element Crystal once more. From somewhere behind the Megazord, the ground trembled as the Shogun Megazord fell under the power of the upgraded Tyrannosaurus Dinozord.

Moving the arms of the Megazord up, she punched out with both fists to put some distance between the monster and the Zord. If her next trick didn't work, she would be hard pressed to come up with something else on the fly. Wait…why would she want something on a fly? The only thing she could think of that she would want on a fly was a…

"Element Flyswatter!"

The other Rangers blinked behind their helmets as a giant pink flyswatter materialised in the hand of the Pink arm. Rarity and Rainbow Dash blinked hard as they slowly began to come out of their own personal pity party, but they could only stare in slight amazement, amusement and awe as the pink plastic product began to beat against the head and shoulders of Thundrar. For her part, Pinkie was having the time of her life and started concentrating hard on the monster in front of her. Before she knew it, words began to spill out of her mouth in a strange battle commentary of sorts.

"Oh come on, it's not all that strange if you think about it. Laughter and sadness doesn't go well together unless it's a sad clown, but a sad clown is funny in its own strange way. And I _totally_ agree with your thinking that the rain outside is falling really heavily and you might have to swim home. There was a bit of sunshine an hour or so ago, but there's no chance another bit will come along in a few hours. And…ooh, they don't know what you have planned for 200, do they? You dropped a lot of hints and there's the strange 'Hellfire Arc' – whatever that is – but to end the chapter on _that_ will be harsh. Oh no! Did I spoil too much? I'm sorry!"

A few whacks later and the monster had retreated from the Megazord. Pinkie's breathing slowed down as she came out of her battle frenzy and she looked at the monster with 'fresh' eyes and transferred control of the Megazord back to Twilight. It reared to its full height and roared a challenge…and seemed to suddenly stop in its tracks like a puppet with its strings cut. Its eyes bulged in their sockets and it started to shake violently in place for a few seconds. A few feet away from their battle, Applejack watched the ninja-themed Ultra Brother fall to what seemed like a powerful burst of light from the Megazord of the Ninjetti Rangers. A few seconds after _that_ came the brilliant flash of light, fire and thunder from the skies above as something detonated with extreme power and force. The Red Ranger could only hope that the explosion signalled the end of the other Ultra Brother…or they would be in serious trouble. All six Rangers simultaneously pushed the thoughts that had been hindering them out of their minds and focused on the strangely weakened monster in front of them. Almost as if sensing their renewed desire to fight, the star in the centre of the Megazord's chest flashed once with overpoweringly bright white light. Seeing that her friends had cleared the last hurdles, Twilight grinned under her helmet and called forth the power of the Dragonfire Gem. As the diamond encrusted band materialised on her left front leg, she channeled its immense power into the finisher and called for the mighty blade once more.

"Element Sabre!"

In a bright flash of light, the massive blade appeared in the hands of the Harmony Megazord. Fire crackled along the edge of the weapon and small wafts of smoke and steam came off the blade as the power of the Dragonfire Gem pulsed through it. For a split second, it seemed to gain the appearance of the Dragonstrike Sword before settling back into its usual form.

"Magic Judgement!"

The Megazord lifted the Element Sabre into the air as the other Rangers watched. Lightning crashed from the clouds overhead, lighting up the night sky with bolts of pure power. Flames licked up the length of the blade and the ear-splitting screech of a dragon was heard. The Sabre was brought down on the dazed monster and a thin line of red light soon appeared running vertically down the centre of the beast. Removing the depleted blade, the Megazord stepped back and both halves of the monster slowly fell apart. Before they hit the ground, they were consumed in a powerful explosion that sent a shockwave thundering around Equestria within seconds.

Now, the battle was truly over.

TBC…

AN: And so is the Dark Rangers arc.


	112. News from Home

Chapter 112: News from Home

"We should get up sometime soon."

Snorting, the Orange Ranger turned to face Rainbow Dash and rolled his eyes at the cyan Pegasus.

"You have the energy to get up?"

Groans of protest were sounded around him as he looked at the lightly amused faces of Celestia, Luna and Spike. After the defeat of the last of the Ultra Brothers, they had stayed in their Zords for a few more minutes to see if that was truly the end of the battle. Satisfied that no more monsters would be crawling out of the woodwork, all nineteen Rangers had teleported back to the Command Tower, demorphed and promptly collapsed in a heap on top of each other. Aside from slight rolling off the ponies and his slightly panicked reaction to having Fluttershy on top of him again, they hadn't really moved from their positions. His attempted rolling away from Fluttershy had resulted in the Orange Ranger in a very…interesting position; but he was too tired to care.

Closing his eyes, he exhaled slowly as he tapped into his Ultra Crystal and allowed the power to heal his aching limbs and muscles. He hoped that he wouldn't be thrown head-first into a battle after returning to his own dimension; but something inside him told him he needed to be ready for something. Whatever the something was, he wasn't sure…but he felt a slight cold gnawing in his gut whenever he thought about it for long. It was almost as if the Orange Ultra Crystal was warning him about something…but whatever it was; he would cross that bridge when it came. Allowing the fiery energy to soothe his body, he felt his strength return and looked up at the amused trio.

"So that's it then? No more monsters that Zedd's going to throw at us?"

Princess Luna looked at her sister and sighed internally. Outwardly, Celestia looked the same as she had this morning, but her sister knew that the sacrifice made by Shining Light was just starting to sink in. After the Rangers had returned to their quarters or own dimensions, she would break down temporarily. The Princess of the Night was more than willing to perform the Royal Duties during the mourning phase but any longer than three days would be a bit too much for her to handle.

"I believe that is the case. Based on the amount of energy expended by Zedd, we doubt that an attack will take place for another few weeks. There may be a few minor skirmishes but nothing of a serious nature. That brings me to my next point, will you six be staying until then or do you have to leave?"

Billy nodded weakly as he struggled to force his limbs to move. For some reason, the Orange Ranger seemed to be recovering faster than the rest of his team…which was a strange oddity that would require looking in to. He would also have to dust off the Dimensional Shuttle and upgrade it slightly in order for the Ninjetti and Jason to return home. He seriously doubted the Red Ranger would want to spend his whole life in Equestria as he would begin aging and wonder why the others weren't. To return to the original dimension would mean that his old friend would be able to settle down and have a family without always having to rush off and save the day. A small part of him felt a pang of jealousy about his friends' eventual return, but he knew he was being silly. After Cestria's death, there was now nothing tying him to his home dimension as he had received notice that his father had been involved in an accident and died soon after. He had been on Earth attending the funeral in secret when Dimitria had contacted him.

Thinking of Dimitria, he frowned internally. Based on the speculations they had made on Kim's information, he had thought that Dimitria would be powering the Ninja and Shogun Zords herself. That is – that she would have infused them with her own life essences and they would have trampled over them instantly. However, that hadn't seemed to be the case. She had somehow been coerced into powering up the three monsters instead. The power infusion didn't seem to have done much in the way of strengthening the monsters but he would have to exchange data with the Ultra Rangers to compare. There was so much he had wanted to ask the Inquiran about her motives for switching to Zedd's side; even with the notes she had left behind, they were vague and didn't really reveal the personal motivations. He sighed sadly as he realised that they would now never know the true reasons behind her actions…or whatever knowledge she had gained from her experience.

"We need to get back. I doubt Xonix will rest on his butt for long and Psycho Orange is still on the loose. Still, I doubt we've missed anything important…and if we have, I'm sure the others took care of it."

Nodding in agreement, Luna looked over the mass of bodies in front of her. Once again, something twinged in the back of her mind as she looked at the rather awkward position the Orange Ranger and Red Equestrian Rangers had found themselves in, but she bit her tongue and said nothing out loud. Spying Billy's head in the mass, she nodded once at the Midnight Blue Ranger and spoke.

"Billy, you will need to begin working on the Interdimensional Shuttle soon. I think the other Rangers are in quite a hurry to return to their normal lives."

Despite the warring feelings in himself, Tommy nodded in agreement with the dark blue winged unicorn. He was sorely behind on his work but he knew that Anton or Elsa wouldn't fire him for being brainwashed into the service of Evil again. They would probably make several jokes about it and ask the usual things, such as what he remembered and whatnot. He wasn't as sure about the jobs of the others. Their bosses wouldn't really believe that they had been interdimensionally kidnapped and forced to serve an alien warlord. And then there was that strange issue with Tanya suddenly gaining the powers of the Yellow Bear as he knew that the previous holder was no longer with them. In all of his Ranger research, he had never come across stories of a Ranger gaining full powers during morph. In fact, the only way the Ninjetti Powers could be transferred was either in a ceremony where the previous bearer accepted the new bearer as his or her true successor…or if there had been extreme intimate contact between the two in the past. As dwelling on the latter would seriously cause him to lose all coherent thought for the rest of the day, he chose to think about the former.

The ceremony was an ancient holdover from the True Ninjetti Warriors that had lived on Phaedos well before Dulcea's time. On the deathbed of the previous bearer, a mark would be placed upon the next Chosen and the dying Ninjetti would intone a set of specific chants and words designed to cement the Ninjetti Animal on the new Bearer. It seemed terribly convoluted and complicated, but it seemed to do the job well enough. The creation of the Sword of Light had nixed any more rituals taking place but the Ninjetti Ritual, it seemed, had been fresh in Tanya's mind for some reason. He would have to check on that when he returned…although…

"I think we can stay here for a while. For a few weeks at least to ensure Zedd doesn't pull a fast one on you. The Ultra Rangers can leave and we'll stay. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

Nodding in agreement, Weihan pushed himself off the floor and lightly pushed Applejack away from his lower half. Memories he didn't really want at the forefront of his mind were beginning to come to light and he had to mentally shake himself to focus on the task at hand. Forcing his legs to move, he rose to his feet and looked at the Rangers below him, slowly realising why the trio had the sly and amused looks on their faces. Rolling his eyes in exasperation, he bent over and grabbed the arm of the Ultra Ranger closest to him…which happened to be the half-naked Rachelle. Pushing _those_ thoughts out of his mind, he grunted in frustration as the power from the Ultra Crystal began to slowly heal his team.

"Come on guys, we leave in fifteen. We've overstayed our welcome as it is."

Tommy saw the other Ultra Rangers nod in agreement and begin to push themselves off the ground. Averting his eyes as a few…choice parts…walked into his line of sight, he looked around him for the first time and his jaw dropped. Wherever they had teleported to was practically covered in highly advanced technology that – to his eyes at least – seemed to be more user-friendly to beings that didn't exactly have hands or fingers. At the head of the long room was an empty space that had, from the looks of the various bits and pieces of kit around it, once housed a plasma tube of some sort. He felt a sinking feeling in his gut when he realised that had probably been the case...and that its occupant wasn't ever going to be returning. Feeling weak strength returning in his legs, he pushed himself off the floor and grimaced as he caught a whiff of the smell wafting from his body. A rest was in order first…followed by a long, hot shower.

"I've been meaning to ask, Tanya…how did you receive Aisha's Ninjetti Powers?"

He turned around and saw Billy rolling on his side to ask Tanya and swallowed hard. In the confusion of the battle, he hadn't thought to pull Billy over and explain to him why Tanya was with them instead of Aisha. Catching the look Jason sent his way, he realised with a sinking feeling that the Red Ranger hadn't thought to tell Billy the news during the intense preparations. As the Ultra Rangers – the females thankfully fully dressed – walked back in, Tanya opened her mouth to deliver the biggest bombshell of Billy's life since the Sphere of Midnight had come into his life.

"Aisha…she's dead."

TBC…


	113. Lightning Strike

Chapter 113: Lightning Strike

"I thought Zedd was powerless?"

Billy shrugged as best as he could while flipping away from a Centaur strike. The attack had come no less than four hours after they had succumbed to their exhaustion from the previous battle and all of them were praying for a quick resolution. To top off the strangeness, he had felt something inside him cry out at a loss of some kind…and then pulse with renewed joy soon after. The Midnight Blue Ranger had absolutely no idea what had been the cause of both surges but he had picked up on subdued talking between Fluttershy, Applejack and Twilight. Of course, what was being discussed raised more questions within him…but he somehow doubted that they would be able to explain things either.

From what little _did_ make sense, the three Rangers had been drawn into a collective dream where they had to 'empower' the Orange Ranger against his battle with what Twilight described as a 'Hell Beast'. He had thought about opening up the Dimensional Doorway communication link to see if their dream held any basis in reality but he had more pressing matters to deal with. He supposed everything would make sense in the end but, as was the way with Ranger Life, he wouldn't bet on any definite answer. Unfortunately, what he could gain a definite answer on was the creature in front of them. It seemed that Zedd had exhausted all of his ideas in the previous battle and was reduced to pulling out various monsters from the past…even monsters that had been somehow resurrected seconds before their first destruction. Trumpet Top, Face Stealer and even the Hate Master had been destroyed at the start of the battle but at no time did Zedd seem like he would be giving up anytime soon. The only good thing he could see was that Goldar and Discord were nowhere to be seen.

"Why would he call you three and not all of us? We would have helped him in no time!"

Applejack shook her head as her kicks slammed into the sides of the Centaurs around her. Her mare-friend wanted answers to questions she had mulled over since having the strange dream. All three Rangers involved had woken up and congregated in the Main Area to ponder and discuss what exactly had happened. Twilight had deemed it a collective dream that had happened when their conscious minds linked together for the briefest of moments during the Megazord formations…but that excuse had sounded hollow to her. She had asked Fluttershy on her thoughts but hadn't had time to hear the answer as the alarms had started blaring soon after. Upon reflection, it seemed that they had been chosen as they were able to quickly assess the situation and give their help to the Ranger in need…or something like that. No doubt that Rainbow and Rarity would spend precious moments trying to get his attention and they would miss the chances granted to them. She didn't know what Pinkie would do in that situation but she doubted that the Orange Ranger would've wanted any more craziness in the fight.

Weaving around the attacks of more Z Centaurs that appeared out of nowhere, Applejack silently summoned her Buckin' Cannons and took careful aim through the sights. Two bursts of energy blasted out from her Flank Cannons and slammed against a trio of Z Centaurs, utterly destroying them. Smirking under her helmet, her eyes widened as she saw Rainbow Dash coming under heavy fire from a monster she swore had been destroyed a few hours ago. Whatever it was, it looked like a walking cannon and the blasts coming out of its head were more than enough to singe the Blue Ranger's wing feathers. Growling under her breath, she looked around the battlefield and did a quick headcount.

Despite the weariness in their bodies, the Ninjetti Rangers had managed to drag themselves out of bed and bolster their ranks against the new attack. The White and Pink Rangers were sticking closely to each other, as were the Black and Yellow Rangers. The Red Ninjetti Ranger was with Jason as the two Red Rangers carved up the monsters and grunts around them. It seemed their strategies were only outmatched by their strength as a cohesive team. Even Billy, who had been reeling from the news that had been given to him, had accepted their offer to help in the battle with open arms. However, she doubted they could hear any of them over the din of the battle and would probably be seconds too late if anything untoward happened…which meant that the ponies needed to look out for each other. In some cases…that was easier said than done.

"Stand still, pony!"

Pinkie cart wheeled through the air as she evaded the blasts from the strange monster below her. Whatever it was, it was too funny looking to be taken seriously as basically was a set of teeth on legs. However, given the correct lighting and atmosphere, she guessed it could have been scary. Her Boomer Blaster retaliated with bursts of extremely explosive hot fudge while her Smile Slicer batted away any blasts that came close to her body. Fluttershy was near her and ensuring that the grunts on the ground stayed away from her aerial display. Bouncing off a crumbling wall, she tackled the monster head-on and stuck the barrel of the Boomer Blaster into his oversized mouth. Activating the rather random (even for her) weapon, she wasn't surprised to see a swarm of angry hornets fly out of the weapon. Leaping off the monster as it scrambled to get away from the insects; she tapped the chin of her helmet thoughtfully and pondered the information that Twilight had shared with the group.

There had been some sort of 'spiritual vision' shared by the Purple, Yellow and Red Rangers which had them helping out the Orange Ranger in a fight. Why he needed the help of them was a mystery as he was one of the strongest Rangers she knew, but she supposed it would all make sense sooner or later. Her bursts of concentration hadn't really revealed much information either…just flashes of strange armours, Zords being destroyed and a towering Megazord of sorts. There were other images as well but she didn't really feel like dwelling on them as they reminded her of a strangely recurring dream that she kept having. Those dreams always left her not only hot and bothered…but with a strange feeling as if something was blocking off her memories. She doubted she had been exposed to anything that would make her memories blocked off but the images associated felt so real.

A series of explosions snapped her back to reality and she blinked as she found herself standing in the middle of a ring of charred grass. From what debris she could see around her, it appeared as her body had kept battling the Centaurs around her even as she had been thinking over the images and dreams. Well, whatever the cause, her Boomer Blaster was almost out of juice and her Smile Slicer was showing signs of dulling around the edges. Pausing to giggle at the thought of her Boomer Blaster running on juice, the Pink Ranger skipped towards her next opponent.

"Lightning Cannon!"

A flash of light later and Rainbow's Flank Cannon had materialised on her left side. The Blue Ranger drew a bead on the resurrected monster and let fly with a volley of lightning blasts. As she had expected, the lightning didn't really do much against the metallic body of the monster…even though it made it seize up for a brief moment. Making sure she knew where every Ranger was at any given moment, Rainbow Dash began the process to charge up her Cannon for a stronger blast. If any of her friends were caught in the blast…she didn't want to think about what could happen as their suits weren't insulated for the electricity discharge. Firing her Element Blaster at the creature, she dimly noticed the flashes of light below her as Applejack and Twilight summon their Elemental Zeo Armours. Calling up the HUD menu, she hastily sent a Ranger-wide message that she was about to fire her Cannon. Firing the charged blast at the group of monsters below her, she saw something that made her blood run cold.

Clad in her Elemental Zeo Armour and blasting at a Z Centaur behind her, Applejack was running right into the blast's intended path. Angling herself into a steep dive, Dash rocketed towards the Red Ranger in an attempt to knock her out of the danger zone. She was racing so fast, she swore she could feel the mach cone forming around her in preparation for a Sonic Rainboom. Tears streamed out her eyes as she strained her wings to speed up…

She was too late.

TBC…


	114. Hurting Loyalty

AN: This chapter arc was supposed to have taken place after Ch 17…but the story took a few other turns. Enjoy!

Chapter 114: Hurting Loyalty

She wrapped the covers around herself and flattened her ears against her head.

Rainbow Dash didn't like to be alone all that much but she figured it was now her fate to be alone. Her mare-friend had been seriously wounded by one of her attacks and it had been dumb luck that the Elemental Zeo Armour had absorbed most of the blast. However, the last image she had seen before her Rainboom had propelled her into the ground had formed an iceberg of fear and doubt in the pit of her stomach. Applejack was lying on the ground, unmorphed and with a slight trickle of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. For the briefest of moments, she thought she had killed her. The ground had hit her full on after that and she had remembered nothing more until waking up in the Command Tower. That had been three hours ago…but could have been thirty years. The White Ninjetti Ranger had started tearing into her about team loyalty and always making sure her friends were out of the firing line.

Her question about Applejack had been met with stoic silence from the Ninjetti…and then he had started ranting and raving about how it was good that she was still alive but the severity of her injuries meant that they were down a Ranger for the time being. The Pink Ninjetti had attempted to calm him down and had sent a sympathetic look her way…but the voice of the White Ninjetti had been the only noise she had heard for a good while.

Until Billy stepped in.

Flashback

"_Tommy."_

_The sharp voice made all occupants in the room look towards the doorway. There stood the Midnight Blue Ranger with an undecipherable look on his face. Rainbow Dash shrank further into the light sheet that had been covering her as Billy walked into the room. She could see the small flecks of blood on his clothes and wondered exactly how bad the damage was. She had been bandaged up pretty well but her concern was directed towards the Red Ranger and wondering exactly how badly she had stuffed up this time. She knew she was acting like Twilight had been but her situation was extremely different as she had accidentally hit her lover. A small thought at the back of her mind piped up to say that their situations were exactly the same…but she squashed it flat._

"_This isn't your team and Rainbow Dash isn't an enemy. Maybe you should get some rest."_

_She saw the White Ranger throw a look in her direction and walk past the Midnight Blue Ranger. As the other Ninjetti filed out, she heard the Pink Ranger murmur something to Billy but she couldn't hear what was said. After a while, she peeked out from the covers to see Billy looking at her in sympathy. There wasn't a trace of pity on his face and he kneeled next to the Med Bed to look her in the eye. Slowly, he reached out an arm and began to slowly stroke her mane in the same way as she recalled Weihan doing to Fluttershy all those months ago. As the stroking calmed her down, the tears started coming until she was shaking with silent sobs. She sagged against Billy and cried her heart out while he continued to say nothing and gently stroke her mane._

"_It wasn't your fault."_

_She looked up at the human and shook her head slowly. No matter how many times the scene replayed itself in her head; she knew it had been her fault for firing as fast as she had. If she had just waited for the message to go out and to hear the acknowledgement from the others…well; there was no use crying over spilt milk. Except no matter how many times she tried to push the image out of her mind, Applejack's still body kept coming up to haunt her waking moments. She shuddered as she recalled the palatable anger and malice in the voice of the White Ranger and wondered whether Shining Light's sacrifice had been in vain. Sensing the movement and correctly guessing the cause of her shakes, Billy smiled and spoke again._

"_I'm sure Tommy ranted and raved his head off but he's completely free of whatever brainwashing spell was used on him. However, that doesn't excuse his behaviour and I suspect that his rudeness was a by-product of not getting enough sleep as well as the strange feelings we all had. Yes, Applejack is wounded pretty badly but her condition is much better than it would have been if the blast hit her head-on."_

_Rainbow looked up as a confused frown formed on her muzzle. Her blast hadn't hit Applejack head-on? That was impossible as she had seen the flash, heard the scream and felt the ground rush up to say hello. Shaking her head again, she opened her mouth in an attempt to say something…anything. However, all that would come out was a confused and rather high-pitched squeak. Covering her mouth with both of her front hooves; she shook her head a third time and looked up to Billy for answers. She was dimly aware of voices coming from the open door but pointedly chose not to acknowledge them in any way. Apparently Billy had the same idea as he made a quick head motion which caused the voices outside to stop._

"_The charged blast exploded in front of her. However, the Centaurs pursuing her pushed her into the blast radius and she was exposed to a large percentage of the discharge. The good news is that her Elemental Zeo Armour absorbed the majority of the electricity and discharged it harmlessly into the ground. Whether or not it will work with the other Elemental Armours is still up for experimentation."_

_She heard him say some other things as well; but her mind was still stuck on the image of Applejack lying unconscious in the patch of scorched earth. Her mind was going through the various scenarios that could have occurred…all of them negative. _

_She knew what she had to do._

_End Flashback_

It may not have been one of the best or smartest things she could have done; but she had left the Command Tower when she was absolutely sure that no one could see her leave. She had left her Element Morpher on the Med Bed and had winged it home…even though her wings had been aching since leaving. Applejack had called her out on her 'undying loyalty' to her friends…but the Red Ranger had still been unconscious when she had peeked in on her before leaving. She had sworn Applejack moved her head in her direction…but that could have been her imagination.

Another explosion rang out and she flinched. There was a battle going on near the boundary of the Everfree Forest. She didn't know what the monster was or if it was just the grunts…but she didn't really care either way. At least, that was what she kept saying to herself. She wanted nothing more than to leap into the fray and save her friends…but her Element Morpher had been left behind and there was nothing that could make her rejoin the battle. After all…she would probably get another one of her friends hurt in the process…

"Rainbow Dash? Can I talk to you?"

Dash paused in her thoughts and narrowed her eyes. That voice was achingly familiar and, for the entire world, could have been…but there was no way that it was possible. Her mind was just playing tricks on her as she went through Power Withdrawal…yes, that was it. It was better to stay in bed, her sanctuary, until she felt fit enough to show her face again.

Why was her body moving out of bed?

She allowed her body to move to the window and peek out. Even though the moon was barely beginning to make its slow descent, there was plenty of light still abundant. She could see there was a golden Pegasus with a light orange mane that resembled flames outside her door. The pony was clad in a dark blue uniform with yellow bolt-like chest pattern and a pair of flight goggles was perched above her eyes. Hearing her movement, the Pegasus flapped its wings and hovered up to the bedroom window. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped wide and her voice came out as a high-pitched squeak.

"S-Spitfire?"

TBC…


	115. Chasing Dreams

Chapter 115: Chasing Dreams

"What are you doing here…?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head in shock as the captain of the Wonderbolts settled down on her bedroom floor. She blinked her eyes hard and rubbed them with both of her front legs and looked again. Spitfire was still in front of her…and looking slightly amused about her reaction. Swallowing hard, Rainbow realised why Spitfire was in front of her. Turning her head away from her idol, she sighed and walked back to her bed. There was no doubt in her mind that Princess Celestia had asked Spitfire to see if she couldn't bring back the Element of Loyalty back to the Rangers. However, she wouldn't go back to them if there was even the slightest chance that they would be hurt by one of her mistakes. Her mind was set and if the Princess wanted to go this far to drag her back…well; she would have to do much better than this.

"I never wanted to be a Wonderbolt, much less the captain."

Rainbow Dash looked back at Spitfire with incredulous eyes. To be hearing that the captain of the Wonderbolts didn't want her position from the start was…well; she couldn't even begin to start! The Wonderbolts were the group she wanted to be a part of and who every Pegasus, one time or another, dreamt of joining. In reality, only a bare few would be able to cope with the strenuous initiation process…but once in, they would be set up for life. She opened her mouth to share all those thoughts…but was cut off as she saw Spitfire gaze out of the window with a look that seemed to be looking into the past. Her tone was low but wistful.

"You know; I once had a dream where I was the best flier in Equestria and soared over the lands with my very own rescue team. My parents supported it completely and always pushed me to my very limits in pursuit of the dream. I was even accepted as a junior for the Soaring Medics."

Upon hearing those words, Dash felt that her eyes would drop out of her skull. If the Wonderbolts were the best and most talented fliers in Equestria, the Soaring Medics would come a very close second. That group had been at the aftermath of every natural disaster, Ursa rampage and – more recently – monster attack for as long as she could remember and their life-saving skills were legendary. However, that was only their Pegasus team or the rapid response team. Their Earth pony and Unicorn teams were considered to be among the greatest heroes since Starswirl the Bearded…and it showed in their efforts. Compared to them, the Power Rangers were only starting to gain the same level of fame throughout Equestria. It also didn't really help that the Soaring Medics were known worldwide and the Rangers had only been sighted around Ponyville, Canterlot and in the Everfree Forest.

"However, that all changed during the quake three years ago."

Rainbow Dash forgot all about wallowing in her sorrow and turned back to Spitfire. She remembered the quake all too well as it had been around the time when she had first moved to Ponyville. All the chaos came back to her in a rush and she had to bite down on her lower lip to bring herself back into the present. That day held a special significance for Applejack as well…as it had been the day where she lost both parents but gained a friend. And what had that friend done for her recently? Blasted her with a large lightning bolt.

Forcing herself out of her more recent memories, she thought back to the start of the day. Everything had been so peaceful and then the earth had started shaking. Buildings had collapsed and ponies had been trapped under debris. Sweet Apple Acres had been flattened completely and the only place where there hadn't been destruction of some kind had been the Treebrary. Everypony had gathered there to hear Mayor Mare's declaration of rebuilding…well, except her and Applejack. They were busy trying to free both Granny Smith and Applebloom before the barn collapsed. She smiled as she remembered her determination to help a pony that she had just met…but felt a strange connection to. She shook herself out of her reminiscence as Spitfire spoke again.

"The Pegasus team and I were doing reflex training near Ghastly Gorge. Most of them were speedsters in every sense of the word…but they had abysmal reflexes. I was the only one of them that could pull off aerial stunts mid-air. When the quake hit…we should have seen it coming. A few minutes before, all of the Quarray Eels retreated into their holes and wouldn't come out for anything. When the shaking started, she didn't really notice it…until the rockslide."

Spitfire shuddered as she recalled the scene. She could still see the faces of her team as they attempted to fly to safety as rocks fell around them. She would spare the Pegasus in front of her the ghastly details…and the reason why Ghastly Gorge was called that name in the first place. Before the quake and the rockslide, it had been called Grand Gorge…mainly for the grand appearance of the surrounding areas. She remembered the shouts, screams and cries of the others as she vainly tried to get them to safety. Looking at the cyan pony in front of her, she had no idea why the Princess of the Night had asked her to try to bring her back to her friends. From what she had heard through the grapevine; she was chosen by the Elements of Harmony as the Element of Loyalty…and should know to help her friends. Indeed, she had argued that very point to her, but the former Nightmare Moon had just sighed and confided to her a secret that she could never tell a soul.

The Best Young Flier and the Element of Loyalty was one of the seven strange 'Power Rangers' that had been hailed throughout Equestria as the successors of the Soaring Medics. That had sparked off a two hour long talk in which every question she had wanted to know the answers to were either answered flat out or carefully worded. From what she had been told, she knew that in the most recent battle that had taken place…a terrible incident had taken place involving Rainbow Dash and her mare-friend…one that involved the Blue Ranger losing all confidence in herself and her abilities. Upon hearing that, Spitfire had agreed to the task at hand and had set off with a strange necklace in one of her saddlebags. There was something about the necklace that called to her but also repelled her…she couldn't adequately put it into words but if it worked in conjunction with the Elements of Harmony then that was good enough for her.

She had even been attacked by some of the creatures the Rangers usually fought. She had put up a good fight against them but had been outmatched until the Rangers arrived. The Red Ranger had also been with them; albeit fighting with slow and jerky movements…so she wasn't as injured as Princess Luna had thought. Or whatever painkillers she was on were really good. It was during the battle that another biped wearing bulky red armour had told her to complete her errand for the Princess and 'bring back their Blue Ranger'. The biped had covered her flight away from the battle with a strange device that shot out beams of red…something. That made her suddenly glad she had agreed not to tell a soul about the secrets as she wouldn't even know where to begin anyway.

"My agility saved my life that day. I occasionally have nightmares about the falling rocks and what would happen if I was just a split second too slow. I was the only Pegasus to survive the rockslide and for months after, I hated the fact that I did nothing to help my team in their moment of need. Once or twice…I even thought about taking my own life."

Dash blinked in surprise. The Captain of the Wonderbolts had thoughts of suicide? That didn't gel with the image she had in her mind of the strong and blazingly fast Wonderbolt, racing through the air to perform some breathtakingly spectacular display of aeronautical acrobatics. She shook her head slowly, noticing that the Wonderbolt was wearing a saddlebag with the Royal Crest on it. She wouldn't go back…but what if her friends needed her? Why was Spitfire in her house and telling her this story? It didn't make sense unless…

"But I forced myself out of my depression and was scouted by the then captain of the Wonderbolts – Shooting Star. However, that's another story and I'll cut to the chase. So what if you made one mistake? One mistake is an opportunity to learn and grow both as a pony…and a Ranger."

At those words, she opened up the saddlebag and withdrew the shining necklace. The jewel in the middle of it was pulsing steadily with a soft blue light and Spitfire could see the indecisiveness in Rainbow Dash's eyes; but there was no surprise that she had called her a Ranger. Sure, reliving the memories of that day was something that she had avoided doing…but if it helped the Power Rangers become a closer group then she would gladly suffer through the nightmares. However, there was something that Rainbow Dash didn't know and that Spitfire did. Moistening her lips, the Wonderbolt captain spoke once more.

"The battle that is happening now…the Red Ranger is fighting in it."

Dash looked up in shock and alarm at the news. Applejack was in the battle? She wouldn't be fully recovered and she would be placing more of a burden on herself than the team…even if the Ninjetti were helping. She looked at her Element Morpher and then back at Spitfire, thinking about the words the Wonderbolt had said. Lives were built up from mistakes and one had to know how to learn from them to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. Making her mind up, he stepped forward and allowed the Element Morpher to reattach itself around her neck. As the Power filled her body once more, she couldn't help but think of a saying she had heard Billy mutter to himself in the early days of their battle…the saying which was the reason she chose to fight once more.

"Those who cannot remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes."

TBC…


	116. Dashing Return

Chapter 116: Dashing Return

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Applejack felt her legs grow weak as the last of the Power Rush faded from her body. She had been feeling better as the continual energy from the Grid had kept her somewhat fighting fit…but the amount of energy was finite. Looking up at the blurry Centaurs in front of her, she let loose with a volley of shots from her Element Blaster as her vision continued to swim. As the grunts fell to the ground, she dodged to the side but fell over awkwardly. Grumbling to herself, she shook her head violently to try to snap her eyes back into place. Much to her surprise, the tactic worked…once. Her Buckin' Cannons were firing in front of her and she was sure that the others were out of the line of fire. If not…well, they wouldn't have to worry about Dash not returning.

Thoughts of Rainbow Dash made a frustrated smile creep over the cowpony's face. She had been grateful that the Pegasus had come to check up on her before leaving…but she hadn't stayed long enough for her to hear her soft cry. She had slipped back into a deep sleep after that and had only been awakened by the attack alarms. Princess Luna had explained the situation to them about her plan for the Wonderbolt captain to bring back Rainbow Dash and her revelation of their identities as Rangers. Amusingly enough, both Billy and Jason hadn't batted an eye over her spilling of their secrets…though the White Ninjetti Ranger had to leave the chamber for a short moment. The Rangers were slowly bending and breaking the long-established rules of Rangering, but she didn't really care about that. With the thought of seeing her beloved again, she had dragged herself out of bed and been the first one to volunteer to fight. Of course, the protests had started but she had shaken them off as she wouldn't run from a fight.

She had pretty much been the first on the scene and had spent a few moments watching Spitfire attacking the Centaurs around her. The Pegasus was a whirlwind of kicks, head butts and jabs that sent the grunts around her flying into trees and bushes. A growl of a Centaur behind her had snapped her back into the present moment and she had allowed the rush of the Power to act as a painkiller of sorts. It had actually done pretty well for the first few minutes…and then it had begun to loose its edge. Her fluid movements slowly became jerky and stilted as her body cried out for rest. The others had teleported in a few moments later and she had seen Jason covering Spitfire's exit soon after. She hoped that the Wonderbolt captain would be able to talk some sense into the confused Ranger but if anypony could…

"Incoming!"

Applejack leapt aside as a black and gold blur slammed into the ground next to her. For a split second, she thought that a monster had been sent down but those thoughts left her mind as she heard it groan. Billy picked himself up from his sprawled position and looked blankly at her. The battle was wearing down heavily on all of them and they were in dire need of a long rest after the fight. There was also the small matter of contacting the dimension of the Ultra Rangers and seeing what had been up with the collective dream…but that could wait. Calling on her Tail Blade, she swung the Harvester in a wide arc as Centaurs were struck with the weighty scythe's blade.

"We're not doing as well as we hoped!"

Billy nodded drunkenly as he attempted to shake the weariness from his body. Although the attacks from Zedd were much weaker than what he was used to, the constant flow of grunts was grating and an effective strategy to wear them down. He hoped that Spitfire would be able to talk some sense into Dash as they needed all seven Elements working in harmony. Rolling his eyes at the unintentional pun, he turned his attention to the battle progressing around them. By Zedd's standards, it was a piddling effort. Six Z Centaurs with no monster in sight. If they were at their best, the battle would have already been over and they would be resting in the Command Tower. However, Tommy had decided that the Ninjetti wouldn't be participating in the battle and they were down a Ranger. There was also the matter of the continual battles…but that wouldn't be a problem if Dash came back in time.

Many of their blasts weren't hitting the grunts full on or were glancing blows. Even the fully charged blasts from the Element Blasters weren't doing much damage to the grunts…but were terraforming the area around them something fierce. The other issue were their numbers. Rarity and Pinkie Pie had to be force-teleported back to the Command Tower after they had keeled over after another missed attack. Luna had confirmed that they were unharmed but their exhaustion had finally caught up with them. Jason was also close to collapse as well and his summoned Tyrant Armour didn't seem to be helping his energy much either. Twilight had changed to her Battlized Armour but her relative inexperience with fighting as a biped, coupled with her tiredness, made her moves look less like fighting and more like…well; a frog in a blender.

However…they _were_ making some degree of progress. Four of the Centaurs had been destroyed and, out of the two remaining, one had been heavily injured by a slash from the Dragonstrike Sword. That still didn't change the fact that they had downed Rangers and were within a hairsbreadth of losing…against Z Centaurs of all things! The two Centaurs burst from the tree line and threw the humanoid body of Twilight towards the duo. Applejack barely had time to react as the Purple Ranger crashed into them and knocked her down for the count. Twilight raised her reverted head up groggily as her mind raced for a quick and effective solution. Finding nothing that she could call on…she waited for the end.

A bright blue light surrounded the Centaurs and the smell of burning clay reached her nostrils. Looking up at the two grunts, her heart leapt in her throat as she noted that they were being electrocuted by blasts that were coming from the flank cannons of a familiar blue Pegasus. Smiling, Twilight felt her head droop again before she did a double-take at the pony in the sky. Rainbow Dash was hovering behind the grunts and frying them mercilessly…but she wasn't covered by the familiar Ranger armour. Her Element Morpher was around her neck and there were two Lightning Cannons on her sides – each spewing out bolts of electric death. The aura around her friend was both astounding and terrifying and she crept closer to Billy for some degree of protection. Before the world around her went dark, she heard the Blue Ranger cry out two words that spelled doom for the enemy.

"Electric Wind!"

TBC…


	117. Buckling Down

Chapter 117: Buckling Down

He snapped off the viewscreen with a snort.

Lord Zedd didn't need to see the destruction of the final Centaur. If he strained his ears hard enough, he could hear the explosion in the distance. Maybe it had been folly of him to send out another group of Centaurs so soon after the Blue Ranger had fired upon the Red Ranger…but he couldn't let the opportunity of the divided team go to waste. To be fair, he hadn't really known what was going on…just that a Pegasus pony had been detected leaving the area of Canterlot with the power signature of the Blue Ranger. Of course, once he had established that the Pegasus in question wasn't the Blue Ranger it had kind of been too late to call off the attack. He had to be extremely careful with his remaining magical energies as the Dark Ultra Crystal wasn't resupplying him nearly as fast as he would have liked. Granted, he had been working off reserves since the last of the monsters the day before had been destroyed and he guessed the three monsters born from the Dark Ultra Crystal hadn't helped recharging matters either…

He growled softly as he thought about the pathetically weak energy that had been siphoned from Dimitria. He had suspected that the Inquiran was plotting against him for some time but had chose to let it slide until she had overstepped her boundaries. Sure, the energy had made the monsters grow and gave them a slight increase in strength, durability and power...but the initial boost had fizzled out rather rapidly. He had yet to discover whether that was a normal thing that would have happened anyway or if it had been initiated by the sudden teleportation of the monsters. There was also the issue with Ravenator…who had fled the most recent fight after the Red Ranger had been caught up in the explosion. He hadn't been able to locate the monster yet but that wasn't such a big deal.

The more pressing issue for him was that he was totally out of ideas and workable plans. He had hoped that the Dark Rangers would be able to destroy the Rangers and that he would take the dimensional technology and conquer another world after Equestria was a burning husk. He certainly hadn't expected a helper pony to sacrifice itself to purify the evil…but he guessed it was inevitable after all. By his calculations, the Dark Crystal would need around three weeks to fully recharge and he could sue that power to stage an all-out assault against the Rangers. He sighed frustratedly to himself and slumped on his throne as he realised that his thoughts and plans were headed down the same path as before. An assault would be repelled eventually and he would be back at square one with nothing to show for his effort. No, a stealthier option would be needed to gain better intelligence of the world around him. He had been Equestria-bound for all this time and still had no better knowledge of the history than at the beginning.

Resting his staff next to him, he stared at his hoof-like hand and recalled what little Tricksy had told him. Discord and his prison…the town of Ponyville and the Summer Sun Celebration that had kick started the whole affair with the Rangers and the 'defeat' of Nightmare Moon. Mentally raping Tricksy had also informed him of a lot more things like the strange nature of the Windigoes, a strange Dragon migration that seemed to be going nowhere and the strange prophecy behind the return of said Nightmare Moon. All in all, it was just more strangeness after another…and would've probably made his brain burst with irritation. His future plans of conquest were looking rather dim.

Goldar and Discord were recovering from their injuries and Gilda would be forced to spend at least a month in the healing tank. Sending Z Centaurs out on raids wouldn't be a good idea in the long run as it would mean wasted resources and plenty more opportunities to allow the Rangers to gain new abilities. Monsters were another thing to be tossed onto the pile of bad ideas – even giant monsters. That Megazord had showed off one other form and he wasn't very keen to see what other tricks the former Blue Ranger had programmed into its systems. On the upside, the break from attacking would allow him to drill Goldar more effectively in attacking quadrupeds and he would even try to resurrect that old and ancient ritual he still had the notes for somewhere. From memory, it was called the…something of De'Sharma or something like that. It would allow him to practically become immortal by infusing several highly-charged lightning bolts into his very core. The strange thing was…it had to be done while the caster was either in a state of suspended animation or unconscious. How in the world he would pull that off…well, he would have to ask Discord to channel the lightning. Lord knew; if he asked Goldar to do it then Equestria would be cowering under the wrath of an unkillable Parasprite.

He had a feeling something large was on the horizon. Something that was to be his personal crowning moment of glory; he would stand victorious over all and would be undefeated by the strongest attacks of those around him. Or something to that extent…but whatever it was, it was coming soon. Of course, it would help immensely if he was able to gather some degree of technological expertise in the Nightmare Mountains but that would leave him with the problem of how to power everything. The only follower with an unquestioned mastery over Equestrian magic was Tricksy as he didn't want to grant Discord a horn just yet. If he forcibly hooked her up to be a power supply for a technological contraption, he doubted she would protest too much...but he didn't want to push his luck too far.

_The stars will aid in her escape…_

Zedd frowned as much as he could as the words flickered through his mind. They had been part of the prophecy that had foretold the return of Nightmare Moon and Tricksy had researched the prediction quite thoroughly in her former life. The full prophecy had been laid bare to him and he had absorbed it but forgotten about it in the chaos and confusion of the arrival of the seventh Element of Harmony. Resting his chin on his normal hand, he thought about the words and if there was some sort of hidden meaning behind them.

Stars didn't really move at a rapid pace. Technically, they did…but upon looking at one and seeing it progress through the sky over dozens of nights, ah, he was getting off topic again. The prophecy had been quite specific in regards to the stars aiding in the escape of the trapped alicorn but he didn't know of any stars that had that kind of power. Well, that wasn't entirely true but seeing as those stars were in the dimension that had been left behind; he didn't give them much thought. His next thought was a much more realistic scenario and, unbeknownst to Zedd, completely correct. The Overlord thought that they could be creatures that had been captured by the alicorn Princess and blasted into space for safekeeping. Their close proximity to the Moon would have meant that they would have known who or what had been trapped on the surface…or wherever Celestia had stashed Nightmare Moon.

According to Tricksy's memories, the four stars had not been seen since they had 'aided her escape' and were presumed by many ponies to be illusions created by the dark alicorn. He wasn't so sure about that and planned to hunt down the creatures one way or another. It would take time to perfect the scrying spell and his plans but he would be patient.

And then blood would be spilled…

TBC…


	118. One Day

AN: Foreshadowing? Only one reviewer knows why the beings at the end are important.

Chapter 118: One Day

"One more push should do it."

Twilight nodded and pushed the wall one last time. Nodding from the sidelines, Shining Armour walked around the wall a few times before smiling. The rebuilding of Canterlot was going along smoother than they had planned but had been unhampered as Zedd had apparently exhausted all of his energy in the previous battles. The Purple Ranger didn't really thing that was the case, but that was as good of an explanation as anything else. Still, the rebuilding effort would take much longer than originally anticipated as the 'helper ponies' had to take breaks every five hours to reapply the shape changing spell. Although the civilian populace knew of the biped Rangers, Princess Celestia didn't think it was wise to show off their unmorphed identities so soon and had labelled them the 'strange, mysterious allies of justice'…which made them sound like humanoid Mare Do Wells, which was kind of accurate, actually.

Levitating a cloth to wipe her forehead, Twilight reflected on the communication that they had initiated after Rainbow Dash's return. Applejack and Dash had been rather…busy before the call, but had managed to pull themselves together and look rather presentable for the Ultra Rangers. However, all composure that they had was lost when the reason behind the strange vision came to light. How and why she hadn't made the connection sooner was lost to her and she felt her heart constrict painfully at the news. Weihan had gone into a battle that had turned out to be a trap…and had died. Of course, the fact that he was speaking to them meant that he had found a way back from the dead but was he a zombie or an undead monster? Or had his soul been sucked out by a creature from Hell and the real him was trapped in the bowels of the Underworld, searching for a way out?

The answer had been provided by Fluttershy, of all ponies, who had stared at his image for a few minutes before nodding once and smiling softly. And then Pinkie had started her rambling explanation that made absolutely no sense at all and made everyone's head hurt. A short while after that, Billy had closed the communication while citing that they needed to get their rebuilding process up and running. The next hour had been rather humorous as it had involved changing the Ninjetti Rangers into their pony forms. They saw how easily Billy and Jason seemed to adapt to theirs and the White Ranger had agreed to lend a hand…or hoof…in the rebuilding process. From the slightly resigned scowls he kept sending her way, she was thinking he regretted it. Stifling a chuckle, she looked up to the pale pink Pegasus lazily looping through the air as entranced foals watched in awe at her graceful movements.

Kim Oliver had taken to her new form like a duck to water and had immediately started her campaign of cheering up the displaced young. Talks with Billy and Adam – the Black Ninjetti – had informed her that she had been part of the Gold Medal team of the Pan Global Games…whatever they were and had even gone to win three Gold Medals in some competition called the Olympics. She helped whenever she could but the majority of her time was spent entertaining the young and even some of the colts and stallions around. Sometimes she would even be joined by Tanya, but the yellow and green Earth Pony couldn't really soar through the skies like her friend.

For the most part, everything else was all right. Cadence was helping Shining Armour in his duties and had even struck up a friendship with the transformed Ninjetti Rangers. Her old foal-sitter knew that she was a Power Ranger and had told the stunned Purple Ranger how her brother had known. It seemed that after his near-death experience at the hands of both Tricksy and Squeezer, the remaining Flim Flam brother had been drafted into the Canterlot Guard at the suggestion of Princess Celestia. Flam had been assigned to Shining Armour's squad and had been on the front lines of every battle since. From the amount of praise being directed at the olive furred unicorn, Flam had matured after the loss of his brother and had the makings of a good second-in-command.

She chuckled to herself as she saw the White, Red and Black Ninjetti Rangers turn back to their work of reinforcing the fire station before swallowing hard as a cold chill ran through her body. The past three weeks had been quiet and that had allowed them to have some fun…mostly. Shaking her head, she recalled meeting with her future self and freaking out over every single disaster scenario that could possibly take place before completing what Billy called a 'stable time loop'. Those three days had not been fun. Neither had the appearance of a reality-warping monster that had _almost_ stripped their friendship away from them…but he was now a smear on the ground after taking a mouthful of the Harmony Buster. Pinkie had been griping about the missed chocolate rain for days after that but had stopped when Rocky had dumped a bucket of chocolate milk on her…

The Everfree Forest exploded.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she raced to the Ninjetti Rangers and watched the beautifully wild forest burn to the ground in a matter of seconds. Chalking it up to normal fire was straight out wrong as a normal blaze would have taken several hours…not several _seconds_. Over the screams and shouts of the stunned and shocked ponies came a mad laughter and a flash of red light that swept out from the ruins of the Main Square. Summoning her Element Morpher to her, Twilight charged towards the light with her brother and the other Rangers hot on her hooves. Upon seeing the sight in front of her, she skidded to a stop and swallowed hard.

Lord Zedd was in front of her in all his transformed glory.

Standing next to him were Discord, Gilda, Goldar and Tricksy; the quartet brimming with renewed energy and almost no trace of any injuries sustained in the previous siege. Black ripples of energy that seemed to come from Zedd's staff lanced over them and changed their armour to twisted representations of the Ultra Ranger armour. Twilight shivered as she recalled the armour that had been on the shadowy Ultra Psycho Ranger but stood her ground nervously. The Dark Lord of Evil scanned the ponies around him and chuckled evilly. His voice boomed over the ruins and there seemed to be an undercurrent of gleeful malice in his tone.

"Good citizens of Equestria; I am Lord Zedd and I am whom the Power Rangers have been fighting against. I have burned down the Everfree Forest to show you that it is futile to resist my takeover as it is inevitable that the Rangers will lose. However, I am a sporting sort and I will give them one chance to stop me before I end your lives."

Tommy narrowed his eyes and stamped his red hooves on the ground. Lowering his head, he shook his green and white horn at Zedd threateningly. Even though the Rangers would surely back him up, he didn't dare attack Zedd head on. The Overlord of Evil wouldn't hesitate on destroying him in an instant unmorphed but he still couldn't forgive Zedd for what kidnapping him and brainwashing him into evil again. A small part of him was curious about what 'chance' Zedd had up his transformed sleeves and that was the only thing stopping him…well, apart from the aforementioned 'Zedd not caring and blowing his brains out' thing.

"My headquarters are located in the Nightmare Mountains. There is an open path leading there…but it will only stay open for one day. Come to your doom, Rangers!"

Billy looked at Twilight and nodded once. Zedd was still laughing his head off…but they needed to prepare for war. The combined forces of the Equestrian, Morphin and Ninjetti Rangers wouldn't do much to a Zedd powered by an Ultra Crystal. They would need something of equal or greater power to stand a chance at defeating him. Slipping away from the crowd, he raced to the Command Tower and began the preparations.

Location: Canterlot Rooftops

They watched the blue unicorn run from the humanoid creature in wonder. The one on his left looked at him and cocked his head, but nodded as the words of their Master flowed through their mind. They would soon get their turn in the spotlight.

And the Trotters would rule everything.

TBC…


	119. March to War

Chapter 119: March to War

"Uh…a little help here guys?"

The Rangers looked on in amusement at the spectacle in front of them. The Ultra Rangers had arrived a minute or so after the signal had been sent out and were busily preparing for the long march to Zedd's caverns when the Orange Ranger had come through the portal. As this was the first time they had seen him since the strange energy transference dream, Applejack, Twilight and Fluttershy leapt up and tackled him to the ground. All three ponies were now covering him with their bodies and making it extremely difficult for him to get up on his own. Sharing a wry look with the Midnight Blue Ranger, the pinned Orange Ranger placed his hands around the closest pony in an attempt to extricate himself from the pony pileup. He was also trying hard _not_ to remember the last time he had to do such an act as that would seriously cloud his judgement and…well, he would rather not relive the memories before a battle.

Slowly, Weihan managed to remove Applejack and Twilight from his body and was able to stand up on his own. Looking around to see where Fluttershy had gone, he rolled his eyes as he registered a slight weight on his back. Glancing over his shoulder, he could see the yellow Pegasus clinging to him for dear life as her wings took off most of her body weight. Knowing that there was nothing he could do to dislodge the timid Pegasus, he rolled his eyes and walked toward the two Princesses. He could see they were clad in their Battle Armour but they had a few new additions. The axe head on Luna's tail had been replaced by a somewhat small blaster that was connected to two power packs. The batwing shoulder guards also had strange additions to them that looked like laser beam emitters but what form the emitted lasers would take would only be seen on the battlefield. Celestia's Battle Armour was tinted a light brown and her hoof coverings were recoloured bright yellow. Weihan nodded to himself as he realised that this was Celestia's way of remembering her fallen friend; although the new Power surging through him allowed him to note that Shining Light had been pretty much integrated into the Equestrian Morphin Grid anyway.

_Please do not tell her. It is better this way._

Slightly nodding at the voice that echoed through his mind, he looked around to see if any other Rangers had noticed the voice but, upon seeing none had, he decided not to say anything. If Shining Light wanted her continuing presence in the world to stay a secret, then he would do everything in his power to ensure that she wasn't exploited by anyone or anything anymore. Looking more at the changes to the armour, he blinked in surprise as his eyes took in the amount of blasters that seemed to be jammed in and around the Royal Alicorn's armour. Most prominent was the Cutie Mark shaped chest blaster that was hooked up to a large power pack/generator hybrid. There were even additions that had been made to her wing coverings to allow for greater speed and height during battle. It seemed that Celestia wasn't taking any chances about stopping Zedd and Discord for good. Finally noticing his stare, Princess Celestia nodded once before giggling at the sight of Fluttershy still clinging onto his back.

"I am aware of her. What's the game plan for Zedd?"

"We all go in as one unit. All of our cards have been laid out in past battles and we don't really have other advantages to surprise Zedd with. Of course, this is barring your new power. The Harmonyzords will be stored in the Rangers' personal subspace pockets so they can be pulled out within a moments notice."

Billy looked at the clock on the wall and breathed out slowly. He knew he should feel comforted somewhat with twenty five Rangers, the two Princesses and Spike moving to go after Zedd, but he still had his doubts. Shining Armour had alleviated some of his concerns about leaving Canterlot unguarded and had set about securing a perimeter with the Royal Guard. The unicorn stallion would also be erecting a magical shield to protect the city from attacks; although it would be quite likely that all of Zedd's attention would be on the army of Rangers coming towards him. His fiancée would also be helping him with the magic required but he had doubts that would be enough to repel Zedd.

After the battle against Zedd, the Ninjetti Rangers and Jason would be going back to their home dimension. He would be kidding himself if he said a part of him didn't want to join them…but his home was in Equestria. Their journey back home would also be one-way as the shields on the Interdimensional shuttle would fail when the vehicle was deactivated and wouldn't be able to be repowered unless they were given a specific harmonic frequency that was unique only to him. The next battle would be the final time he would fight alongside Zordon's Rangers and he intended to savour the moments as long as he could. There was also one important detail that would be mentioned to the Rangers after the battle – their immortality due to usage of the Elements of Harmony and of the Element Morphers. He was sure most of them would deny such a thing had occurred and he sincerely hoped none of them tried to prove otherwise. They wouldn't get very far in their attempts but still…the thought of the Rangers he had grown to love as family hurting themselves made him sick to his stomach.

"Shall we get going?"

A quieting air seemed to settle on the Rangers upon speaking those four words. The Ultra Rangers dropped their bags onto the ground and prepared themselves for the journey and the battle to come. Fluttershy detached herself from the back of the Orange Ranger and hovered over to her team to commence the pre-battle preparations. Weapons were pulled out and swung through the air as the wielders prepared to use them against Lord Zedd and his army of mindless followers. Completing their checklists at the same time, the Rangers looked out the windows to the sight of the Nightmare Mountains and exhaled slowly.

It was time to end this.

TBC…


	120. No Retreat

Chapter 120: No Retreat

"Well, that had to be one of the most awkward crowd walks I've ever had to do."

Billy chuckled under his breath as he heard the protective shield spell snap shut behind them. None of them looked back as they knew what would be seen. Pretty much all of Canterlot and even some ponies from Ponyville had lined the streets hoping to catch a glimpse or two of the heroes that had saved them so many times. However, what they saw was the Ranger Army walking together to face their arch-enemy _with_ the two Royal Alicorns. To say that it was a shock was a gross understatement as the crowd literally went wild with cheers and appreciation. They gaped openly at the unmorphed Ultra Rangers, Billy and the Ninjetti Rangers and Jason and a few wondered why Spike was going along with them. Princess Celestia had also promised to bring back the 'vile tyrant's staff' as proof of his defeat…although he hadn't a clue how they were going to achieve such a feat.

Stepping onto the path that led to the Everfree Forest, the Rangers just stood in shock at the destruction and devastation caused by Zedd. Seeing it from Canterlot was one thing but seeing it up close was entirely another thing. Fluttershy dropped to the ground as tears pooled in her eyes, Rarity gasped in horror at the withered and burnt husks left behind and Applejack vehemently shook her head from side to side as Rainbow Dash leant in close to the Red Ranger for support. Weihan ground his teeth together and clenched his fists in anger as he saw what evils Zedd was truly capable of. Even Xonix had stayed well away from deliberately burning down a forest to provoke a heated response from the Rangers but it seemed Zedd had no such qualms about stooping to such a low level. Seeing as none of the others were willing to take the lead and be the first to step inside the burnt remains of the Everfree Forest, he strode to the head of the group and paused at the start of the path. Despite the devastation around it, the smooth stone path was virtually untouched; which only served to heighten up the creepiness of the situation. Preparing himself in case anything was to open up in front of him, he took a slow step forward.

Nothing happened.

No monsters leapt at him, no poison arrows shot past his face and no pits housing spikes, snakes or spiked snakes opened in front of him. In fact, there was practically no song or dance associated with the step. Wiping away an imaginary sweat drop from his forehead, the Orange Ranger looked back to see the Ranger Army looking at him with a mixture of admiration and respect. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head and continued on the path in front of him – well aware that the others were gathering their wits and following him. His mind raced through all the strategies that could be used against Zedd, Discord and the other monsters that would surely be sent their way. Although he knew it wasn't his place to do so, he mentally began pairing off the Rangers with the enemies they would most likely go after.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack would be paired up against Gilda. He still had no idea how in the world the earth pony would be able to fight against a humanised Griffon but he guessed he had seen stranger things. After all, he had fought against Grash'Nak using the wings borrowed from Fluttershy; not to mention the other interesting abilities he had gained such as the Morphin Smash. The Elemental Zeo Armour would help the ground-based pony with some attacks…although if he took the previous battles against Gilda into consideration, the battle would be over before it began. The other Rangers could be attacking whatever monsters, grunts or whatevers that Zedd sent thought Twilight would probably focus all of her attention onto the reptilian pony thing that he had heard about before. Now that was something to be seen to be believed.

Jason and Tommy would probably wage their own private war against Goldar and Discord would probably zero in on him or the two Princesses…leaving Billy to face Zedd. Knowing his team, the Ultra Rangers would back him up every step of the way as well as the Ninjetti Rangers. If possible, he would have to avoid fighting Zedd as he didn't know what sort of impact the two opposing Ultra Crystals would have on each other or the surrounding landscape. That last thing he wanted to do was crack the landmass in half…that would pretty much suck for the ponies living on Equestria. Spike would help out with the grunts or he could fly overhead in the Dragon Jet and strafe whatever enemies were on the horizon. If Zedd made himself and his followers grow…well, they would have to be prepared for anything if that happened. Depending on the situation, he would possibly have to give the order for the Dino Ultramax to be formed…although he _really_ needed a better name for the combination.

"What's rattling around in your head?"

Blinking out of his thoughts, he looked to his left to see Eliza walking beside him. The Purple Ranger looked ready for the task at hand and he knew he could count on her support. Chuckling under his breath, he schooled his face into a sombre look and looked around him. There were twisted and burnt hulks of trees jutting up over pitch-black scorched earth. Tiny bodies of animals and birds lay everywhere he looked and he heard a stifled sob behind him as Fluttershy saw the amount of death that had occurred in such a short span of time.

"All of this…makes me kind of glad Xonix hasn't thought of burning down the Amazon just to get the world's attention on him. It's going to take years for the Forest to recover."

The Purple Ranger nodded and looked at her leader out of the corner of her eye. It seemed that everything was piling on top of them at such a rapid pace and that Weihan was taking the burden on his shoulders in an effort to spare them from any more troubles. It wasn't healthy to be carrying around the weight of two worlds on ones shoulders but he seemed to be showing no outward signs of stumbling so far. She would have to talk to the rest of the Ultra Rangers and ensure that all of them were pulling their own weight during future battles. After all, they were a twelve Ranger team and the strongest team in the Multiverse…but if they couldn't even support their leader, they didn't really deserve the title.

"There's new life springing up though. Now that the forest canopy is gone, the stragglers at the bottom can begin to move up to take their place in the spotlight."

She nodded as her eyes roved the surrounding areas once more. She could see small green shoots pushing their way through the scorched ground and smiled as a Parasprite buzzed past. Nodding once more, she dropped back and watched the Orange Ranger walking in front of her. Shaking her head at how much he was taking on, she stopped in her tracks and looked around once more. Despite only having walked down that path for a few minutes, the group was now deep into the remains of the Everfree Forest. Glancing back behind her, she couldn't even see where the entrance to the path was or how far they had travelled. A chilling wind blew through the dead trees and carried a deep, throaty laugh. The Ranger Army froze in their tracks and looked around for the source.

"Rangers…you are very close to my home. However, this is where you meet your end!"

An explosion of light and fire blossomed out in the space directly in front of the Orange Ranger. Flipping back to the others, Weihan dropped into an offensive stance and waited to see exactly what would be opposing them. As the smoke cleared, the assembled force swallowed in fear and anticipation as the enemy showed their full hand. As expected, Lord Zedd was leading the group with his four main minions behind him. The quartet was still clad in their Ultra Ranger-esque armour and was backed up by a literal tide of old and new monsters, Z Centaurs, Z Putties and the odd Tenga. Backing up, the Rangers felt adrenaline flood their bodies in preparation for the battle – a feeling that intensified as Zedd spoke.

"This is it, Rangers. The final battle between our opposing forces. Either you win and destroy me or…"

Zedd let his sentence trail off as he looked at the Ranger Army in front of him. He had expected the Equestrian Rangers, Jason and the Ninjetti Rangers; but to see the Ultra Rangers made him swell with pride as he realised what a threat the Rangers thought of him to be. Grimacing under his mask, he saw that the full might of the Ultra Rangers had been called upon…which would tip the battle in favour of the Rangers unless something wasn't done quickly. It was a good thing he had planned for something like this to happen…even if he hadn't managed to pin down the location of the four beings that had constantly eluded him. Opening his mouth, he finished the rest of his sentence with a wicked smirk.

"Or I win and kill you all."

TBC…


	121. Supercharging the Grid

Chapter 121: Supercharging the Grid

There are two things that need to happen for a Grid to be supercharged.

One is to have a large group of Rangers morphing at the same time and the other is for them to be drawing their powers from different sources. Even through they may be morphing from differing Grids, there will always be that one moment in time when the Grids touch for the barest of moments. During these moments, power is transferred from the strongest Grid to the others, hypothetically linking them forever. In the most extreme cases, it is possible that a Ranger using a 'weaker' Grid can access and use environment-specific versions of some of the arsenal of the 'stronger' Grid. The other thing to take into consideration is the Grid that is being supercharged. Usually it will be the Grid of the current world that will be given the greatest effect, although there have been exceptions to the rule. The Rangers using the supercharged Grid will find that their attack, defence, speed and reflexes have been boosted to the levels of the strongest Ranger team in the Multiverse and they can easily rip through all enemies in their path.

Of course, none of this mattered to the Rangers facing down Zedd's army. The Ranger Leaders stepped forward and their team gathered behind them. They didn't even notice the scenery twisting and falling away around them to reveal they were standing on a cliff overlooking Zedd's Lonely Mountain Citadel. Even Spike and the two Princesses – who had no Ranger Powers to speak of – didn't notice the change of scenery as they were preparing themselves for the battle to come. Avoiding the sharp drop in front of them, the teams separated and summoned their Morphers. Twilight and the Equestrian Rangers would go first and the Ultra Rangers would be up next. Strangely, there seemed to be an additional phrase running through his head for the morph. He doubted it would do anything but a personal touch was nice sometimes. Unfortunately, the addition would have to wait for later as they didn't really have that much time to spare for fancy embellishments to the morph. A crackle in the air snapped him back to attention as he saw that Twilight was about to begin the sequence.

"_**IT'S MORPHIN TIME!**_"

From the ground under their feet erupted seven columns of pure Morphin Energy. The energy enveloped the Rangers and instantly clad them in their Ranger Armours minus their helmets, which materialised after each Ranger's individual full morphing phrase.

"Ranger of Generosity! Green Ranger!"

"Ranger of Laughter! Pink Ranger!"

"Ranger of Loyalty! Blue Ranger!"

"Ranger of Kindness! Yellow Ranger!"

"Ranger of Honesty! Red Ranger!"

"Ranger of Magic! Purple Ranger!"

"Ranger of Acceptance! Midnight Blue Ranger!"

With a crash of thunder from the cloudless sky, the seven Equestrian Rangers stood in the sunlight as Weihan stepped forward and slid his Ultra Crystal out of his chest. Dimly aware of the others doing the same thing, he briefly wondered about the after-effects of unleashing the full power of the Ultra Grid on Equestrian soil…before deciding that whatever would happen could only be good things.

"_**ULTRA CRYSTALS…ENERGISE!"**_

Twelve streams of energy leapt out of the Ultra Crystals and combined to form a large, multicoloured sphere of energy. From the gleaming, whirling mass of colours and lights were twelve discs of colour. As they passed over the Rangers in question; their armour, helmets and Battle Armours materialised on their bodies with little more fuss or fanfare as switching on a light. Morph completed, the Ultra Rangers stood in a straight line as the small bolts of energy runoff continued to dance along the top of their armoured forms. Weihan could see the terror and uncertainty that was starting to form of the faces of Zedd's quartet and grinned under his helmet. He would ensure that Equestria was safe for the future.

"_**TYRANNOSAURUS!**_"

Golden light shone from Jason's Morpher as he morphed into the Red Morphin Ranger…with his Tyrant Armour permanently affixed to his uniform. His Tyrant Blade fell into his awaiting hands in a glimmer of crimson light and the emblem on his chest gleamed brightly as he felt the seals on his helmet lock into place. Twirling the blade in his hands expertly, he rested the weapon on his left shoulder and looked towards his target: Goldar. Whatever the outcome for the battle as a whole, he would not stop until Goldar had been removed from his sight once more.

"_**NINJETTI SPIRITS…FULL POWER!**_"

Five ghostly animal cries rang out over the battlefield as the five Sacred Animals raced to the aid of their Bearers. Tommy sighed in contentment as the Falcon settled into him once more and filled him with power. Five Rangers weren't enough to make a huge difference but they weren't really there to go toe-to-toe with Zedd anyway. However, there was a part of the White Ranger that wished otherwise…except the more rational part of him knew he didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell. With that Dark Ultra Crystal of his, the Dark Lord was better armed than he had ever been before and he sorely doubted his replica Saba was powerful or magical enough to sever the connection as easily as before. He wished he still had access to the Brachio Staff, but that weapon had been destroyed when the DT Powers had gone boom.

In a crackle of light and sound, the twenty five Rangers stood in the energy runoff from their combined morphs. The Equestrian Morphin Grid was now supercharged with the combined energy from the Ultra Grid and the Earthen Morphin Grid; and they could feel the difference. Even the two Princesses and Spike could sense their bodies filling with unparalleled strength and power as they readied themselves for the final assault. There would be no united declaration of Ranger brotherhood as the morphing calls had done their part to unnerve and spook the enemy. The imminent runoff explosion would send waves of shock and fear throughout those who had not heard the morphing calls…but that didn't really matter all that much; there was only one thing left to do.

"_**ATTACK!**_"

TBC…


	122. Clash of Ages

Chapter 122: Clash of Ages

Discord roared in pain as the blade pierced him.

The Army of Rangers had swarmed through the sea of grunts and monsters faster than he had anticipated and had pretty much reduced most of them to smears on the ground within seconds. The monsters that had been spared the blazingly fast destruction were now trying to desperately beat back the blasts and blades from all sides. Of course, nothing would stop the seven Rangers from attacking his Master directly but they had to _try_ to tire them out. Surprisingly, Gilda had even lasted longer than the five minutes he had pegged her for…but not that much longer. The humanoid Griffon was currently out cold. Well, he doubted anything could get colder than being encased in seemingly magic ice. He doubted he would be seeing her again.

Stabbing his blade outward, he swore under his breath as it was batted away by the Orange Ranger. The Ultra Ranger was doing a pretty good job in ensuring he couldn't back up his comrades in battle; although the only one that seemed to be having any difficulties with their opponents was Goldar. Tricksy seemed to be holding up against the magic of the Purple Ranger and his Master was doing an admirable job of channelling his remaining forces to stop the Midnight Blue Ranger. The monsters were expendable assets and could be created on a whim; something that Zedd was doing with the power of the Dark Crystal. Whirling away from the Ranger, he pressed his left hand to his side and grumbled in pain as he felt warm blood slowly trickling out of the wound. He seriously needed to plan an exit strategy that didn't look like he was fleeing from the battle. His Master didn't know it, but he had been slowly siphoning off power from the Dark Crystal for a while. Dimitria had taught him how to do it before her untimely demise and he had managed to even keep it a secret from Tricksy. If Zedd's lapdog knew, she would have told Zedd in an instant…and then it would have been all over. He just needed one small diversion and he would put his plan into action.

Stepping away from a slash from the Orange Ranger, the humanoid former alicorn wondered why today was when Zedd had chosen to have the final battle. The Ninjetti Rangers and the Red Ranger were still in the dimension and the Equestrian Rangers had called upon the full might of the Ultra Rangers. On their end, they had lost the Dark Ninjetti and a lot of monster creating magic had been wasted on dimensionally shifting and resurrecting Goldar. The Ultra Brothers had been destroyed and the strongest, Ultraris, had even been destroyed with the 'Light' Ultra Crystal…which meant that the Ultra Brothers weren't going to come back anytime soon. He didn't really understand how non-Equestrian magic worked but he did know that there wasn't a thing that Celestia could do to seal him up as the Elements of Harmony were being used by the Rangers. Spreading his wings to leap over the stunned Ranger, he began scanning the battlefield for Celestia.

"Time to finish what we started all those years ago!"

Princess Celestia rolled out of the way as Discord came crashing out of the sky. Tightening up her body, she activated the weapons on her armour with a mental command and waited for the perfect moment to strike. If she had to be truthful to herself, she was extremely nervous about what was to come. Her last face-to-face encounter with Discord had resulted in the loss of one of her best friends for a very long time; not to mention seeing Shining Light being violated before blasting the creature with the combined magic of the Elements of Harmony. In the past, she had an army of thousands of ponies at her back but now she only had herself and her sister to rely on. The Rangers were fighting their own battles and couldn't really help her. Snapping her head down, she blinked in surprise as a visor extended from the bottom of her crown and over her eyes. Looking at the sides of the covering, she had to stifle a grin as she realised it had been created in the same shape as her Cutie Mark. Her ears twitched once as small filaments of cable snaked over them to allow her to hear what was being said by the other Rangers.

Gliding out of the way of Discord, Celestia drew a bead on the creature's blade with her shoulder blasters. Charging them up with her magic, she unleashed a flurry of blasts at the beast and flew back out of range. The pastel coloured energy bolts slammed into the chest of the humanoid horse and exploded against his skin. Discord howled in pain once more and Celestia allowed a truly wicked smirk to cross her muzzle before she surveyed the battle. The Ninjetti Rangers were cutting down monsters left and right with their armoured weapons although the White Ninjetti Ranger and Jason were facing off against the golden plated humanoid monkey. The Ultra Rangers were facing off against a strange group of monsters. Whatever they were, she could see the Orange Ranger locking himself into blade combat with one that looked strangely like a humanoid reptile with spikes coming out of its shoulders.

Diving down to tackle Discord with her front hooves, she heard the low rumbling of Spike's Dragon Jet as it flew overhead for yet another bombing run. As the baby Dragon couldn't really be expected to dive head-first into the throng of monsters, Twilight had gotten her assistant to board the Dragon Jet and attack from the air. Of course, that would have been all well and good…if Zedd hadn't summoned two flying monsters in advance. So that began the slightly comical balancing act by Spike of helping his friends and ensuring the monsters didn't get _too_ close to him. The Princess of the Day wondered exactly what was stopping him from changing into the Dragon Mode and destroying the two via its teeth and jaws…but maybe that was oversimplifying it just a bit. Leaping off Discord once more, she took to the air as she saw dark bolts firing from the small lasers on Luna's armour.

Charging her weapons again, she zeroed in on the blade in the hands of Discord and fired three charged shots along the blade. Although all shots were direct hits, there didn't seem to be any outward effect and Celestia scowled to herself. She wished she could bring the Sun down and fry Discord to a crisp, but there was no way she could do that without rendering Equestria uninhabitable for the next few million years. An explosion at her rear informed her that the Equestrian Rangers were still trying to break through to Lord Zedd. The Dark Lord was throwing pretty much everything he could at them in an attempt to halt their progress. She had utmost faith that the seven Rangers would succeed in destroying Zedd and purging the world of his influence forever. Smiling to herself, she wheeled in the sky and angled herself for another attack.

However, if she had just turned a fraction of an inch more, she would have seen the quartet. They stood on a high ledge and were watching the battle unfold before them in interest. To say that they were monsters of Zedd's was a gross understatement as, for as long as they knew, they had always been wandering Equestria. They had helped Nightmare Moon from her prison and had set in motion the events that had led to this battle…and the chaos that was soon to come.

They would wait for their Master to come back.

TBC…


	123. Mirror Match

Chapter 123: Mirror Match

"What the fuck are you?"

Weihan slammed his Sabre down on the shoulders of the monster in front of him, still unable to believe what he was seeing. After Discord had cut their battle short, the Orange Ranger had gone to the rest of his team to see what monsters needed to be killed. What he saw filled him with shock and a small tinge of fear…even though he _knew_ it couldn't be possible. The Morphin Smash had all but pulverised the Guardian of Hellfire and three weeks wasn't enough for anyone to pull themselves together after top-down bisection. So the thing in front of him was either a monster that pulled its shape together by mental imagery or a very convincing fake…which was kind of the same things, really. He wasn't angry enough for the Hellfire Armour to be summoned, but the Battle Armour was suiting his needs just fine. Withdrawing the Raptor Laser from its holster, he spun away from the replica Grash'Nak and fired blast after blast into the monster. As the explosive bolts impacted against the scales of the beast, Weihan relaxed slightly as realisation set it that the creature wasn't really Grash'Nak. However, it was just as strong and as dangerous…which meant that he needed to keep his attention on the monster.

Risking a quick glance over his shoulders, he smiled to himself as he saw that the others were making pretty quick work out of the remaining five monsters. They had split up into small teams and were hacking into their opponents with deadly accuracy and speed. Converting his Laser into the Laser Blade, he twirled the weapon in his right hand and awaited the next move of the creature. So far, none of the other Rangers had come to help him, except Tommy, as they were facing their own battles. He had wounded Discord with his Sabre so the two Princesses would have a slightly easier time against him…but they would need to ensure that Discord didn't flee the battle. Ducking a downward swing from the not-Guardian, he brought up both blades to lock its right hand. There was something he wanted to experiment with but he couldn't really do it if he was constantly reminded of the battle in Hell.

Exerting as much pressure as he could on his weapons, he smelled the charring smell of burning flesh an instant before the blades cut the offending limb off the monster. The not-Guardian recoiled in pain and rage, while bellowing at the sight of the cauterised limb. The monster staggered back and its skin began to ripple as it slowly changed shape. The Orange Ranger watched in fascination as the monsters flesh, skin and bones flowed fluidly to form a new outer covering. Scaly skin formed hard sheets of mirrored armour and its reptilian face began softening a small amount to look like a wolf's head. From the cauterised stump came a short blade that looked like it had been carved from mirrors. The creature laughed and spoke in a gravely tone that had an undercurrent of breaking glass.

"Ranger, I have come back to feast on your flesh!"

Weihan was seriously getting bored. He was starting to wish that he had pursued Discord instead of helping his team as they could have easily dealt with all six monsters on their own. Even as he was thinking about the strategies they would have used, the heard four explosions blossom out and rolled his eyes at the ease in which the monsters were dispatched. Flipping away from the beast, he surveyed the battleground. The remaining monster looked like a cross between a hydra and a printing press…if such a thing ere even possible. Its nine heads bobbed atop coiled spring necks and ragged strips of flesh hung over red ink-stained letters and numbers. For all the world, it looked like Zedd had been paying a bit too much attention to his battle in the Hydra Thunderzord as the staff-like weapons the monster had in its claws looked like detached Tail Blades. He saw that most of the other Rangers had discarded their Battle Armour for the Assault Armour and he was tempted to do the same thing.

"Don't look away from yourself. Now, we'll see who the real Ranger is!"

Tiredly looking back at the monster, he blinked in shock. Standing in front of him was an almost perfect mirror of his morphed form, right down to the details on the armour and helmet. The remaining Ultra Rangers paused I their battle to see what would happen and if their leader would be able to defeat himself. Dismissing his Laser Blade, Weihan rested his Raptor Sabre on his left shoulder and studied the replica. Although the severed hand was still lying on the ground a short distance away, the figure in front of him had both hands intact. There was also a copy of the Raptor Sabre in its hands and the blade had a strangely mirrored finish to it. He felt his annoyance and anger start to build at the replica in front of him but he knew he had to fight if he wanted to help the other Rangers.

Racing to meet the figure halfway, he stabbed his Sabre at the chest of the replica, only to have it blocked by a quick and jerky movement. Another slice was similarly blocked but he managed to score a direct hit by kicking the chest of the monster. The being staggered back and tightened its grip around the handle of the replica. As if responding to its commands, the blade lengthened and changed to the electro-whip mode and the copycat chuckled darkly. Cracking the whip in the air, Weihan flipped back as the electrified weapon smacked onto the ground a split second after he had leapt away. He was tempted to change his own weapon into the Electro-Whip but he still needed to figure out what was the best way to attack whips with whips. Still, there was one advantage that he had over his duplicate – the Hellfire Armour.

He couldn't be sure if the duplicate had the means or matter to summon the Assault Armour, but he wasn't willing to take that risk. If the duplicate Ranger was drawing power from the thirteenth Crystal then Zedd had finally succeeded in creating an unstoppable evil Ranger. Dismissing his Sabre, he ran toward the replica Ranger with bare hands. Jumping over the near-misses of the energised whip, he delivered a flying kick to the hand of the replica and kicked the weapon away. Channelling fire into his palms, he blasted the monster in front of him with dual streams of white-hot flames as the anger within him reached its peak.

"_**HELLFIRE ARMOUR!**_"

His voice echoed over the battlefield and caused all combatants to stop what they were doing. His Battle Armour fell away from his body as the ground beneath his feet cracked open. As if it was summoned from the depths of Tartarus, a jet of orange and red flame engulfed his body as he prepared for the Hellfire Armour to materialise. He could hear shouts and screams all around him as though he was hearing the cries of the dead in Equestria, the victims of Discord crying out for vengeance and the victims of Zedd's monsters braying for blood. As the Hellfire Armour materialised, he unclipped the Dragonbreath Blade from his belt and activated the weapon as the flames died down.

He heard the gasps of shock and awe from the other Rangers coming over the helmet communication systems, but his attention was focused on the being in front of him. The monster was actively trying to scan the Hellfire Armour and create its own replica but he knew that would be of no use. The Hellfire Armour was an Interdimensional construct and could only be granted if it was integrated in the user's Crystal; something he sorely doubted the thirteenth crystal could be able to use. Leaping towards the impostor, he swung the Dragonbreath Blade up over his head and brought it down with all the force he could muster. As he had anticipated, his replica attempted to block the blade with the Electro-whip but didn't seem to have noticed the whip-like mode wasn't the best for blocking blades. With a metallic snap, the weapon broke under the weight of the Dragonbreath Blade and Weihan began to charge the Blade for the final strike. The name was slightly different than what it had been before…but the effect was basically the same.

"Hell's Slash!"

TBC…


	124. Grinding the Future

Chapter 124: Grinding the Future

He was seriously wondering if Zedd threw anything away.

Rocky raised his Power Sword and brought it down on the back of the Stag Beetle. The metallic weapon cleaved through the hardened carapace and bit deeply into the thick muscle underneath. The insectoid screeched in pain and fell back as Primator stepped up. Sighing, the Red Ninjetti Ranger brought his blade up to an offensive position and let the Power take hold of him. It seemed that no matter where Zedd was, his strategies – if you could call them that – were still the same. If the skinned Overlord had the power to resurrect all of the monsters he had used in the past, then what had been stopping him from doing it from the very beginning? There was no doubt in his mind that the native Rangers would have been inexperienced to deal with a monster tsunami; even if Billy had regained his Powers they would have been quickly overwhelmed. There had to have been something preventing Zedd from that very strategy.

He recalled Billy informing them of the early days of the campaign when Zedd had yet to show his full hand. There had only been a handful of followers that Zedd had 'recruited' and he hadn't really made any serious grabs for power until he had released Discord. The Midnight Blue Ranger had speculated that the amount of Power Zedd could control and wield at any one time was limited to the number of followers and loyal warriors he had. Ducking under a sluggish punch from the ape-like beast, Rocky had to agree that it made a certain degree of sense. Evil was drawn to evil and there was a lot of power to be gained from those connections…just like everything else in life. Then again, everything in the Multiverse seemed to be predestined and there wasn't much one could do to change their fates. Shaking his head, he looked away from the battle for a split second to see how the others were doing.

"You're kidding me. Out of all the monsters here, I have to deal with you?"

Adam rubbed the back of his helmet is distaste as the bright red lantern monster grinned and opened its mouth to growl at him. The Black Ninjetti Ranger rolled his eyes as he transformed his replica Power Axe into its cannon mode. It always seemed that Zedd's resurrected Lanterra always zeroed in on him as revenge for his destruction all those years ago. Whether or not Zedd's resurrection of the monsters allowed them to retain their memories was anyone's guess, thought Adam thought his situation could be worse. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he chuckled to himself as he saw Rocky squaring off against a partially-healed Stag Beetle once more. The Red Ranger's replica Power Sword glowed with energy and within three minutes, the insect monster had been destroyed…again.

Unleashing a flurry of blasts at the monster, Adam wondered what would happen after the battle. Billy was not coming back with them, that was for sure, but Jason would have to come back. Even if there was nothing left for the Red Ranger in the home dimension; Jason could journey to Auckland to help the Samurai Rangers deal with the rest of their enemies. The thought of the first Red Ranger helping the rookies fight was slightly amusing, but he knew that was what had happened upon his unexpected arrival. Charging up a shot, he wished he could bring the Ultra Rangers back with them but knew why that would be pretty much impossible. There needed to be balance in life, death and battles. Even this battle with the army of Rangers and helpers against Zedd had some semblance of balance as they were balancing out the overwhelming power that was coming from Zedd.

From the reports they had listened to from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the dimension of the Ultra Rangers had its balance pretty much in a state of near-constant flux. When their Big Bad was incapacitated, the Rangers were more likely than not either off-planet or out of the dimension. The other Ranger teams they assisted were soon assaulted with powerful monsters soon after…though the monster strength dropped dramatically after the exit of the Ultra Rangers. On the other hand, their dimension had a pretty stable balance after the death of Zordon and the strength of the monsters handled by each successive team of Rangers stayed at pretty much the same level, barring the odd seasonal power surge. True, the Ultra Rangers could probably rip great holes in the fighting strength of the enemies and maybe they could bring about true, lasting peace in the Universe, but it wouldn't last for long. The immeasurable strength of the Ultra Rangers would draw out the strongest enemies from the woodwork and they would continue to set their sights on Earth even after the Ultra Rangers had left. The Ninjetti and Jason could handle it; but they would be forced to call for help or risk total destruction.

Releasing the trigger on the Cannon Mode, he watched as a small sphere of crackling purple and black energy issued from the barrel and sped towards Lanterra. Disinterestedly, he saw the monster burst into flames a split second before it exploded once more and looked for more monsters to battle. The four Ninjetti Rangers had pretty much carved up Zedd's whole resurrected monster army within a few hours…which wasn't that bad considering most of them were out of practice. Now, all that was left were the grunts that were remaining and then they would deal with Zedd, Goldar and whoever else was left.

"_**HELLFIRE ARMOUR!**_"

Adam nearly jumped out of his skin as the cry echoed above the noise of battle. Looking around for the source, he blinked in shock as he saw a bright column of flame engulf the Orange Ultra Ranger. Running to the flaming Ranger, he stopped short as the flames exploded away to reveal a wicked set of armour that reminded him greatly of the armour Tommy had worn as the White Ranger. There was a weapon of sorts in the hands of the Orange Ranger and Adam squinted in the light in an attempt to make it out. As an orange flaming blade snapped out, he staggered back out of the firing line. The amount of power from the weapon alone was enough to make all of the hair on his body stand up on end…even the hairs in his nose and ear.

This would certainly be a spectacle.

TBC…


	125. Tarnished Gold

AN: And we whack onto 175K words on 20/7/12…or 19/7/12 if you haven't crossed the date line yet.

Chapter 125: Tarnished Gold

"There is nothing you can do to me!"

Goldar rested his golden blade on his shoulders and looked at the two Rangers in front of him. They were both old Rangers in new armour, but the newness of their suits wouldn't do much against his new power. He had been weathering down their attacks for the last few hours anyway and biding his time. His Master had ensured that none of his followers would fall before they had at least dealt some degree of damage to the Rangers…he was sure what had happened to Gilda was a fluke or something. Well, he guessed that she _had_ done some amount of damage to the Rangers; the Black/Green Ranger had been seen shaking his strange gauntlet weapon for a few seconds after. Whether by design or power drain, the weapon hadn't fired since…not that it mattered much to the overall strategy of the Ultra Rangers. He stumbled on the spot slightly as the swords of the White Ninjetti and the Red Morphin Rangers came down on his shoulders for what seemed like the billionth time. His armour was strong enough to hold the blades at bay but he knew that standing still wasn't the best option on the books.

Lord Zedd had cautioned him on being struck with too many blows as the new set of armour his Master had clad him in was somewhat different than his old set. Whereas the old set acted just like any normal set of human armour, only with some moderate degree of magical protection, the new set had to charge up over time to allow greater protection. What that meant, he didn't really understand as he hadn't seen any marked drop in protection ability in the previous few battles. Of course, magical protection didn't really count for much if the blows came too fast for the armour or magic to keep up but he supposed it was the thought that counted. The past three weeks had been relentless training that ranged from hand-to-hand battles with both Discord and Gilda to picking apart strategies used by the Rangers from his Master's recordings. It had been during one of these sessions in which he truly began to appreciate the difference of a good strategy.

The early battles against the Equestrian Rangers had held a slightly comical note to them, whether it was an underpowered Billy against Pirhantishead or Discord's first foray into Canterlot after his freedom. These had come to a head sometime during the battle with the ancient Griffon monster and any residual comicality had vanished after the metallic Parascythe was unleashed. That battle had seen the appearance of two Ultra Rangers and had provided the turning point in Zedd's campaign. Even though his Master had glanced into their Universe for the briefest of moments while choosing a dimension to settle in, Zedd had admitted that he didn't want to see their power up close and personal. How ironic it must have been for him to see that very power up close during one of the battles that would come to define the campaign. It had been in the defining battle that the two Ultra Rangers had returned to their dimension but not before they had unleashed the terrifying power of their Dinozords. If those two machines could strike that much fear and terror into both Zedd and Discord, he didn't want to see what the full set could do.

Discord had also let something slip about one of his followers still being alive or something like that. That was insane though as there was no way that any normal pony could survive for around a thousand years. Trying to get more information out of the humanoid former alicorn was next to impossible though and Goldar had given up after a few hours. There were other battles of interest after the departure of the Ultra Rangers – namely the debut of the Megazord and the 'massacre' that had happened soon after. The Megazord hadn't been seen after in the main configuration until recently, but there had been another form that had appeared later. Unfortunately, Lord Zedd hadn't been able to get the debut battle of the Midnight Blue Ranger as there had been some sort of magical barrier blocking his attempts; his Master had been rather busy with training the Dark Rangers then so it was a moot point anyway.

Most interesting to him had been the appearance of an 'Ultra Psycho Ranger' that had all but crippled the Rangers and had left the Purple Ranger a gibbering wreck. There was also a spell that didn't seem to have worked on the Rangers and a few monsters during this time; but those battles didn't seem to have any coherent strategy to them. Good Ranger strategy had only come back into play with the introduction of the Orange Ranger's Hydra Thunderzord and the utter annihilation of the Black Ultra Psycho Ranger. As he felt his shoulders shake under the weight of another heavy blow from the Red Ranger's blade, he began to privately wonder to himself if the only Rangers with any sort of strategy were the Ultra Rangers…and if that was the case, why? The enemy that was attacking them would have to be incredibly strong for the full power of the Ultra Rangers to stand a chance and would have to pretty much send monster after monster for their strategies to be tightly honed. On the flipside, it seemed his Master had been sending out infrequent monsters and hoping for the Rangers to be caught on a bad day.

Shrugging to himself, he took his blade out of its resting position and allowed it to droop onto the ground. With any luck, his armour could withstand a few more blows and, when the Rangers were tired and winded from their constant attacks, he would strike them both down. It was the perfect plan and he doubted it would go wrong.

"What is he doing?"

Jason shrugged and looked back at Goldar. The armoured simian hadn't moved an inch since they had started their attack. If it wasn't for that movement, he would have thought that Goldar had died from a heart attack or something. His Tyrant Blade was showing slight signs of wear and tear but the slight nicks and dings were nothing when he looked at Goldar's shoulder guards. The once lustrous plates of armour now looked like they wouldn't look too out of place in a sawmill and the ornate engravings and inscriptions on the metal were now undecipherable. He paused in his attack and thought about what Goldar was doing in not attacking. A growing sense of unease started to form in his gut as he pieced together Goldar's strategy.

From a strategic point of view, it was a solid strategy to take the attacks 'on the chin' and keep the energy level high. The attackers would be slowly becoming tired after each attack and they would make a mistake sooner or later. If the armour was strong enough, one could theoretically stay safe and unhurt for as long as the armour held up. It was almost akin to a race between the respective strengths of the armour and the attackers…except the attackers were becoming tired with every strike. He had to admire Zedd's rationale in resurrecting Goldar for the battle as the golden ape had some seriously dangerous ideas rattling around in his skull. It almost made him wonder why he never used them during his time with Rita but knowing Goldar, he had probably forgotten about them until the Countdown.

"We need to take him out soon. We can't keep up the attacks forever and he's got something planned."

Tommy had to agree with Jason. He had found it a bit off that their long-time adversary was taking the passive approach to the fight and hadn't lifted his blade once. He could hear the sounds of fierce battle around him from the Ultra Rangers and his team and had thought about going to help them if Goldar wasn't going to do much actual fighting. The only thing that had been holding him back had been a nagging sense of doubt and a strong confidence in his friends. He wasn't really so sure about what side the Ultra Rangers were truly on, but they had destroyed four out of the six monsters they had been pitted against…so that was certainly something to be admired. Billy, Jason and the ponies seemed to be all right with them and he _had_ seen the Orange and Purple Ultra Rangers in action via the recordings in the Command Tower.

Looking down at his replica Saba, he groaned and rolled his eyes. The imitation blade was heavily armoured and razor-sharp but none of the magical qualities were duplicated. Indeed, the distinctive eye-beams had changed to laser emitters controlled via one of three buttons at the back of the moulded head. He could still channel power and energy into the blade but it could only be done manually; which had meant a lot of training and practice. Drawing on the spirit of the Falcon that ran through his body, he began pushing it into the weapon slowly. He could feel the small generator in the hilt of the weapon awaken and pulse with life. He could see Jason powering up his Tyrant Sword as well, the blade being slowly wreathed in red and orange flames. Unfortunately, his HUD told him that Goldar's armour would be able to protect him from the combined blows. They needed something else, a catalyst of sorts, to ensure that Goldar would be defeated with the next attack.

"_**HELLFIRE ARMOUR!**_"

The shout echoed over the battlefield, causing all heads to whip to the source. The Orange Ranger was being engulfed in a blazing column of fire and he saw Adam running toward it. What the Black Ninjetti thought he would be able to do was beyond him. It was apparent that something had gone terribly wrong with the summoning of whatever the Hellfire Armour was and the Ranger wouldn't be getting up from…wait.

As the flames dissipated, he could see the Orange Ranger wearing what appeared to be a replica White Ranger armoured vest. There was a weapon of some description in his hands and he just exuded overwhelming power. He could feel warmth settling over him, almost as if he was being charged up by the Ultra Ranger…but that was pretty much next to impossible. Checking his power meter, Tommy's eyes widened in shock and amazement as the numbers rose impossibly fast. If he was reading them correctly, his level of base power was almost enough to destroy a giant monster with one hit. Glancing at Jason allowed him to see that the Red Ranger was feeling the effects as well. In unison, the two Rangers lifted up their charged blades and readied themselves for the finisher.

Goldar was as good as dead.

TBC…


	126. Showdown

Chapter 126: Showdown

"It's finally come to this, Zedd."

Billy tightened his grip around his Acceptance Lance and stared at the abomination in front of him. The last time they had fought one-on-one, Zedd had ripped the memories out of his head regarding Cestria and her final moments. That had given him an advantage in the battle, yet the flesh man hadn't taken it. Maybe it was hard for him to have done so when leeching the memories from the mind of the then-Blue Ranger but still...Billy clamped down hard on that line of thought. The last thing he needed to be thinking about was what would have happened if he had died in that battle. There was one difference between the current battle and the previous one – the Equestrian Rangers were by his side. Discord was fighting the Princesses, Gilda had been put on ice and Zedd's recycled monsters were being battled by the Ninjetti and the Ultra Rangers. The only two minions that weren't actively fighting were Goldar and Tricksy. The former was standing like a statue as Jason and Tommy's blades sparked up a storm upon contact with his armour. What the gold plated monkey was waiting for was anyone's guess but the Midnight Blue Ranger knew that Goldar would be in the ground again before long.

Tricksy was hanging around the legs of her Master, looking like some kind of demented dog. Tiny bolts of blue-green electricity were dancing along the ends of her claws and her lips were pulled back in a parody of a rictus smile. Her red and black decaying teeth served to heighten her overall creepiness but the reptilian pony didn't seem to mind or notice.

"Let us finish this, Rangers."

Zedd attacked and with three blows had managed to knock the ponies away from him. He swung his Z staff in a wide arc, aiming to decapitate the Ranger in front of him. Billy dropped to the ground to avoid the sharpened Z and swept his right leg out; catching the overlord off guard. Zedd stumbled back but recovered quickly and summoned a ball of energy into his hoof-hand. Throwing the energy out wildly, Zedd launched himself at the Midnight Blue Ranger and splayed his fingers out. He needed to regain the advantage in the battle and destroy the human that had played a vital part in stopping so many of his plans. Billy only had enough time to yelp in fear as Zedd's fingers closed over his visor and he felt himself being lifted up.

Striking the Overlord with the Acceptance Lance didn't seem to have much effect but he continued to stab and slash randomly. Even if he severed one or two of the tubes that hung from Zedd's body, that would surely be enough for him to loosen his grip on his helmet. That was the hope anyway but he didn't think it would work. Dropping the Lance to the ground, he switched on the radar system and tried to get a bead on where the others were. Twilight and Rarity were exchanging magic bolts with Tricksy, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were staring curiously at Gilda's frozen form and Fluttershy and Pinkie were ensuring that the remaining grunts didn't overwhelm the other Rangers. All of them were also giving off rather abnormal energy readings and, if he didn't know better, he would have sworn that the Ultra Rangers were fighting in their place. A howl from Zedd made him look down as best as he could to see that he had unconsciously summoned his Elemental Blade Blaster and was digging the laser blades deep into Zedd's left side.

Pressing his advantage, he flicked his wrist once and watched in morbid satisfaction as a strange mix of purple and green began to seep out of the wounds. It seemed rather strange that the wounds wouldn't be cauterised by the lasers; but he chalked that up to the strange way that laser blades seemed to work. If possible, he would do a few experiments with the Elemental Blade Blaster to see if it could be charged up for a higher output. He would cross that bridge when he came to it. However, now was not the time to be thinking about such endeavours. He swallowed hard as a large crack appeared on his visor and he knew he had to act fast. Lashing out with both feet, he caught Zedd in the upper chest and pushed hard. The unexpected attack, coupled with the searing pain from his side, was enough to make Zedd release Billy's helmet and sending the Midnight Blue Ranger tumbling to the ground.

Rolling away from Zedd allowed Billy to see how the others were doing. The Ninjetti Rangers were cleaving up the recycled monsters and ensuring that they would be back in the scrap heap where they belonged. He chuckled under his breath as he saw Kim and Tanya double teaming a slightly bewildered Tombstone Monster before throwing the hapless creature into Turkeyjerk. Primator and Stag Beetle were getting the drop on Rocky, while it seemed that Adam was frustrated by Lanterra's fixation on him. Flipping out of the way from energy bolts thrown by Zedd's staff, he retaliated with his Blaster before checking on the Ultra Rangers. He had seen Zedd create the six monsters from the Dark Ultra Crystal moments before they had been sent to intercept the Ultras. From the looks of things, the battle was very one-sided. Four of the six monsters looked to be visibly struggling against the fearsome power of the Assault Armour and the two remaining monsters had a slightly desperate air around them. Summoning the Tricera Cannon, he blasted a volley at Zedd before spinning away from his own reflected blasts. Scowling at the Dark Ultra Crystal, Billy realised he needed a different strategy.

"Girls, any suggestions?"

Pinkie shook her head as she looked at Lord Zedd. There was something about the strange creature in front of her that blocked off any sort of humour she may have seen in the situation. She didn't know how it was possible, but it even blocked off most of her Pinkie Sense and Author Sense as well. It was almost as if even the Author didn't know where the action would be going…only that the story needed to come to an end soon in order for something else to begin. On the other hoof, that was crazy talk as if the Author didn't know where they were going then anything and everything could happen from the Rangers losing to honey falling from the sky. Actually, that didn't seem like such a bad idea. There was so much power flowing through her body that she felt like she could burst at any moment. The last sense she had gotten before everything had been blocked had to do with the Grid being supercharged or something. If she concentrated hard enough, maybe there was a chance she could see through his eyes and 'break' whatever the fourth wall was again.

She looked at the confused stares of Billy, Twilight and even Zedd and she realized, somewhat belatedly, that she had been speaking out loud. Bowing her head meekly, she took a few steps back before diving behind a very bewildered Applejack for cover. Struggling to make sense of the strange ramblings that had come out of Pinkie, Twilight had to agree on one thing – the amount of power flowing from her Element Morpher had increased drastically. She felt almost as strong as when she was in her 'Battlizer' Armour; but she was still in her normal pony form. Twilight looked up to see Zedd charging his staff with a strange crystalline structure and her eyes narrowed. That had to be the thirteenth Ultra Crystal that was supposedly the embodiment of pure Evil. Opening her mouth to shout out a warning, her voice was drowned out by a shout from nearby.

"_**HELLFIRE ARMOUR!**_"

She blinked as she saw a rising column of flame engulf the Orange Ranger. She had a feeling that in these few seconds of confusion, that it would be the perfect time to strike. Not bothering to look back at the transforming Orange Ranger, she silently summoned her Magic Launchers and raced at Lord Zedd. The humanoid abomination saw her approach but acted too late to block the twin streams of supercharged magic the issued from the weapon. Dropping his staff in shock, he lifted his right hand with his fingers outstretched and attempted to conjure up a shield. The explosive energy from the Magic Launchers impacted against the rapidly growing shield of energy and _smashed_ through it, engulfing Zedd's hand in a mixture of energy from the Elements of Harmony, the Zeo Crystal and the borrowed power from the Ultra Grid. He bellowed in pain as the flesh on his hand and lower arm began to burn away faster than the Dark Ultra Crystal could regenerate. Unbeknownst to Zedd, the energy from the Dark Ultra Crystal was slowly being nullified by the Ultra Grid energy.

Twilight stopped her attack and summoned the Dragonfire Gem to her front left leg. She knew that it was her duty as leader of the Equestrian Rangers to ensure Zedd was destroyed in this battle. She also knew that only she had the power and strength to carry out the task at hand. Behind her, she could sense the other Equestrian Rangers rallying behind her and willing her to finish the job. If she concentrated hard enough, she swore she could also see the spectral outlines of both Shining Light and Dimitria looking down on her. Closing her eyes, she allowed the power from the Dragonfire Gem to engulf her body and expand her awareness as the transformation began. Her spirit rose out of her body and she could see herself covered by the purple fires of the Dragonfire Gem. Looking around, she saw Goldar falling under the dual energised strikes of the White Ninjetti Ranger and Jason. The gold monkey collapsed to the ground and was engulfed in an explosion of smoke and fire. The Ninjetti Rangers were also destroying their opponents with relative ease and Spike was helping them from the air.

Swinging her eyes to look at the Ultra Rangers, she gasped in amazement as she took in the Hellfire Armour. The Orange Ranger was running a strange dragon-headed blade through a mirror image of himself and was practically glowing with destructive energy. Being told about the Hellfire Armour was one thing but seeing it in action was entirely different. As her transformation ended, she felt her spirit settle back into her body as the Dragonstrike Sword fell into her waiting hands. Tightening her fingers around the handle of the blade, she looked to see what damage had been inflicted on the warlord. Zedd's entire lower right arm had been burnt away and the Warlord was cradling it close to his body. His staff had been retrieved and was awkwardly being held in his left, hoof-like hand and he was making no visible effort to defend himself. She needed to end this before Zedd had the chance to either grow to a giant or resurrect his defeated monsters once more.

Closing her eyes, she slowly began the channel the energy around her into the Dragonstrike Sword. If she had felt powerful and strong before, that was nothing compared to what she was feeling now. Power pulsed through her body like a strong current in a stream. Her gut churned and frothed like a powerful waterfall and she could easily pick up on the electric auras of those around her. The Ultra Rangers were pushing their energy into her as if they wanted to see Zedd destroyed by her hands. As the Dragonstrike Sword reached its maximum energy capacity, she felt a small surge of guilt go through her. Billy should, by all rights, be the one to make the final blow and she slowly opened her eyes to insist that he take up the Dragonstrike Sword in her stead. However, it seemed that the Midnight Blue Ranger and her friends had other ideas.

She felt a pair of hands on her left shoulder and a pair of hooves around her waist. Looking behind her, she saw that the Equestrian Rangers were supporting and bracing her for the final attack. She gasped in wonder and amazement as she felt the energy from their Elements flow into her body and add to the deadly payload in the Dragonstrike Sword. Honesty, Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, Laughter and Acceptance flowed into her body and, for a split second, she felt intimately connected to those around her. There would be no escape for Zedd and nothing left to resurrect.

"Elements of Harmony, Strike!"

The blade came down, shining in all the colours of the Elements of Harmony and the Zeo Crystal. The sword beam that erupted from the tip sliced through Lord Zedd's body, severing the links that were still forming to the Dark Ultra Crystal. He bellowed in pain and rage as fire erupted from the grievous wound. His life energy was gushing out of his body and he knew if he didn't act quickly then he would be relegated to the Spirit World once more. However, he couldn't just vanish in front of the Rangers as they would know he was still alive…but there had to be a way he could slip away. Falling to his knees, he looked at the Dark Ultra Crystal that lay just in front of him and reached out with his hoof hand. He felt his strength fail him and he fell to the ground with a wail.

The resulting explosion rocked the Nightmare Mountains. The open cave that led to Zedd's stronghold violently quaked and imploded as a great column of fire and energy reached up to the heavens. The shockwave slammed all Rangers and allies to the ground and obscured the flash of fire that signalled Discord's retreat from the battle. After around five minutes of constant quaking, the smoke and haze cleared to reveal…

Nothing.

There was no trace of Zedd or the Dark Crystal left. One by one, the Rangers demorphed in flashes of colour and stared at the char and scorch marks that marked the end of the greatest Evil to threaten Equestria. Spike landed the Dragon Jet and hopped out of the cockpit, his pilot suit vanishing in a shimmer of light. Slowly, the cheers started to break out; tentatively at first but then they erupted into a grand swell of cheers, hollers and hoots. Looking at the assembled army of Rangers that had helped them take down Zedd, Twilight felt nothing but gratitude for each and every one of them.

Equestria was safe at last.

TBC…


	127. Price of Victory

Chapter 127: Price of Victory

The celebrations ran on into the night.

The citizens of Equestria celebrated and partied hard at the news that Zedd had been defeated. It seemed as though there were five different celebrations starting up at any one time. In Ponyville, the reconstruction work stopped as the news sunk in and celebrations began. Sugarcube Corner and Sweet Apple Acres were swamped with ponies lining up for celebratory treats that were one-day-only specials hoof-made by the Red and Pink Rangers. Mr and Mrs Cake were gobsmacked at the news that Pinkie Pie had been battling for their very freedom as a Ranger. Applebloom hadn't left Applejack's side as the Red Ranger celebrated and baked for her closest friends and family…although she had practically banned Rocky and Rainbow Dash from the kitchen. Rarity was celebrating with the upper crust in Canterlot, while Fluttershy was resting in her house, surrounded by all of the animals that had escaped the destruction of the Everfree Forest.

The human Rangers found themselves practically the centre of attention as scientists from Canterlot studied them in extreme depth and detail. Most of them took the prodding and probing in stride while they dazzled the foals around them with magic tricks and…slightly…embellished tales of their battles. One or two of the Ultra Rangers had even been cajoled to summon their Dinozords for the amazed crowd…which had led to Rainbow Dash summoning the Loyalty Harmonyzord in mock retaliation. However, amidst all the cheers, celebrations and random confetti sneezes; there were four individuals who were slightly more introspective. Resting on the hill that overlooked Ponyville, the Ranger leaders were quietly reflecting on the victory they had achieved…and what it meant for the future.

"Seems like yesterday we were initiated into the world of the Power Rangers."

Twilight nodded and reclined against a nearby tree. After the celebrations in the Nightmare Mountains had died down, they had spent a good three hours scouring the battleground for any trace of the Dark Ultra Crystal. The destructive explosion that had signalled the end of Zedd wouldn't have packed enough force to _crack_ the Crystal, let alone disintegrate it. When the search had turned up empty, they had been forced to conclude that it was probably in the clutches of Discord. Much to the disappointment of the Princesses, it seemed as though the humanoid monster had also given them the slip…but the duo had done their utmost best to ensure that the so-called God of Chaos wouldn't be around for much longer. That small piece of information hadn't been released to the public as they needed to celebrate the unmasking of their heroes and their victory.

"At least we know Zedd's been destroyed."

Weihan nodded and kept quiet. Although there was no way possible that Zedd could have survived the sword finisher, there was something that kept nagging at the back of his mind regarding the Dark Ultra Crystal. There was a slim chance that, sensing its master was about to be destroyed, it had encased Zedd in a force-field of sorts to keep him alive. The explosion could have just been a release of stored energy from the depths of the Ultra Crystal similar to their own charged energy attacks. He hoped he was just being paranoid though. However, in the clutches of a being like Discord, it seemed that his journeys to Equestria weren't over yet. Not that he minded of course…provided he didn't get hit with another spell ala Love Tick.

He rolled his eyes as the Pteranodon Ultra Dinozord streaked across the sky, being chased by the Loyalty Harmonyzord. It had been a good thing that there had been no massive Zord battle as it would have just chewed up the surrounding areas more. As it stood, it would be a very long time before anything remotely green grew in the Nightmare Mountains again, yet the Griffons weren't minding that much. They had migrated from Canterlot Crags to the area that had been recently vacated by Zedd and his troupe. The only follower of Zedd beside Discord that they didn't know the whereabouts of was Tricksy. Even though Twilight and Rarity had been facing off against the reptilian pony, she had badly cloned herself during the battle and had fled soon after the summoning of the Hellfire Armour. He wished Shining Light could help him track them down…but it seemed she wasn't speaking to him as he was an outsider.

_Actually, it takes too much concentration. She is alive though._

"Goldar as well."

Jason smiled as he recalled the moment where he knew for certain that Goldar had been destroyed once more. He had been slightly wary of the first explosion, even though it seemed slightly larger than any that had occurred previously. The smoke had cleared and he had waited for the familiar raspy voice…but had seen nothing but slowly dying embers and twisted scraps of golden armour. He had looked slowly at Tommy and then back at the scorched earth in front of him. It actually hadn't really set in that Goldar had been destroyed until the explosion that had signalled the destruction of Zedd. As they had scoured the area in a hunt for the Dark Ultra Crystal, or whatever it was called, Jason had looked at the scraps of metal closer and had seen the small spatters of blood that covered them. Any doubt in his mind was erased as he had found the remains of Goldar's helmet, the edges crusted over with blood.

There had always been some small part of him that had been slightly disappointed at how Goldar had met his end originally. Although there had been no safe way for him to travel to Triforia, Jason had always wanted a final and decisive showdown with his rival. The Z-Wave had done the job nicely, yet, there had been no sense of closure on that one aspect of his life. Emily had known it as well but had said nothing until…and he didn't want to go down that train of thought. He would be returning to his home dimension with Tommy and the others and knew there would be no way for him to return to Equestria. The only Rangers that could travel freely through dimensions were the Ultra Rangers, but their range was limited to Equestria. He supposed it was better that way. Knowing Tommy, he wouldn't want to stay away from trouble and Kim would be hot on his heels.

"And that Griffon won't be a problem any longer."

Tommy smiled to himself as he recalled the slightly surreal debate over what to do with the frozen humanoid Griffon. Apparently she was alive in her icy prison and the ice was slowly melting away. The Black/Green Ultra Ranger had added another coat which had apparently added a few more months to the melting process. Her flock had taken back the frozen warrior and had assured the Rangers that she would be dealt with when she eventually thawed. He wished he could be there when she finally noticed where she was…but that would be impossible.

In a few more days, he would be leaving Equestria for good. The Ninjetti and Jason would be travelling back inside Billy's dimensional shuttle where they would be debriefed and tell Divatox exactly what had happened to her sister. He would also have to inform Edward about what had transpired and inform Anton that he had, once again, turned to the side of Evil. He didn't know what would happen to the others and their jobs, although he guessed they would get a bit of leeway if they said they were abducted by the newest group of Evil. He just wished there was some way for them to stay in contact with Equestria and come back if they were needed. Billy had explained why they couldn't but the explanation had made his mind tingle slightly. He had surreptitiously slipped one of Billy's tools into his pocket and would have Justin or Edward have a look at the dimensional signature. Ultra Rangers or not, he wasn't going to abandon his friend in need.

A sonic boom erupted overhead as the Pteranodon Dinozord swooped above them and Weihan shook his head. There would be a lot of work in the coming weeks for the ponies but he wouldn't be playing any part in it. He had things of his own that needed to be done at home, namely his relationship with AJ and his sense of some foreboding event in the future. The Ultra Rangers would relax for a few days and leave after the Ninjetti and Jason did.

Zedd was gone, at last.

TBC…


	128. Taking Leave

Chapter 128: Taking Leave

"Uh, are you sure this is everything Billy?"

Rocky scratched his head as he looked at the pile of boxes in front of him. Upon learning that the Interdimensional Shuttle would be returning to the planet of Inquiris, Billy had gathered copies of his notes to date and had asked that they be given to Divatox, Edward, Mystic Mother and Justin. What was contained in those notes, the Red Ninjetti Ranger hadn't the slightest idea, but he secretly hoped it was a way to open up a stable dimensional door to Equestria. It didn't seem fair that the Ultra Rangers could come and go as they pleased while they were relegated to the sidelines. The Midnight Blue Ranger emerged from a side hall and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"That should be it. The log goes to Divatox along with the files from Dimitria's recordings, the recordings and battle data goes to Edward and a copy of that and the notes for the Element Morphers go to the Mystic Mother. Weapon data and Zord schematics go to Justin…and I think that's it."

Billy looked up at the Interdimensional Shuttle wistfully. Once or twice, he had considered scrapping it for parts to give the Harmonyzords some Interdimensional travel capacity but had always backed out of it at the last possible moment. He had kept it as a souvenir of the old dimension and the life he had left behind…but it seemed that everything from his past was destined to leave him sooner or later. Tommy had wondered why they didn't set up a system like what they had with the Ultra Rangers and have a constant two-way stream of travel and communication. The Midnight Blue Ranger knew where his friend was coming from but, as he had explained, it was too risky. If Discord, or whatever new evil force popped up, actually managed to defeat the Rangers, then they would look for new dimensions to conquer. It made more sense to have the only Dimensional Doorway open into a dimension with the strongest Rangers in existence. Grudgingly, Tommy had to admit that it was the better option. Privately, Billy had wondered if Discord would even make a move in the future. The humanoid pony knew the strength of the Rangers and would be heavily injured from the recent battle anyway.

Nodding absently at Rocky, he looked to where the Ultra Rangers were starting to come out of another hall. There was no denying that their Zords had been helpful in the rebuilding process but it was time for the native Rangers to take over. He found it slightly amusing how he clumped himself into the title of 'Native Rangers', but he guessed it was only natural for him to see himself as part of Equestria. They had agreed that the Dimensional Doorway would be shut off for the next couple of months to allow the system to repair itself. Billy seriously doubted that there would be any reason for them to call the Ultra Rangers in the foreseeable future. Looking up at the roof hatch, he reflected on everything that had occurred in the past two years; coming to Equestria, creating the Zords and Powers, the incident with Blackened Heart…everything was a learning experience and allowed him to grow both as a person and as a Ranger.

However, there was one thing that he was not looking forward to: telling the Rangers that they could never die. There would be shock, of course, and eventually anger. For the Rangers that held family and family bonds in high regard, the thought that they would be forced to say goodbye to their family as they died would be heart-rending and gut wrenching. Yet, it had to be done, lest they wonder why they never grew old. He briefly wondered if any of them already knew something was up but dismissed the thought. For normal individuals, the thought that they could be deathless was just a flight of fancy that would never come true. To learn otherwise would surely send them into a great amount of shock…which was why they had to be told now. He had discussed it with the Princesses and the Rangers would be told after the other Rangers had left. Wiping his palms on his pants, he looked at the assembled Ninjetti Rangers and Jason as they prepared to board the Interdimensional Shuttle. He knew the Red Morphin Ranger wanted to stay and help, but he would do more good in the original universe. Jason had even debated on leaving his Zord in Equestria, but Billy had reminded him that the Dinozords were always connected to the Ranger commanding it. After all, there were a few other tricks he hadn't shown the ponies yet…

"Guys, I just want to say it's been great to see you again and to fight by your side once more. I doubt we'll ever see each other again, but if you're ever stuck in Equestria again…give me a buzz."

A low spatter of laughter rippled through the departing Rangers. Tommy looked at Billy one last time and finally noticed the subtle differences that had changed his friend. They locked eyes for the briefest of moments and the White Ninjetti nodded once. It would be foolish to attempt to convince Billy to come with them as his place was, and possibly always had been, in Equestria. However, he wasn't about to give up on his friend and would be giving Justin, and possibly Edward, the tools and small scraps of metal from Equestria. They would be analysed and, if everything went well, they would be coming back soon. He turned to the side door, but was called back by a shout.

"Tommy, wait up."

The White Ninjetti paused on the steps and turned around. The Orange Ranger was walking up to him with his arm extended. He found it amusing that they had never really talked or even seriously looked at each other until now…but that was neither here nor there. Pushing past his previous judgements and impressions, he was able to see that the young man in front of him was a capable Ranger and would lead his team through Hell if it meant achieving victory. As they shook hands, the White Ninjetti felt a small stab of jealousy. The young man in front of him was everything that he had wanted to be as a Ranger and would continue down that path to whatever end.

"It's been an honour to battle alongside one of the greatest Rangers in the Multiverse."

Tommy chuckled and shook his head. To hear those words coming from one of the strongest Rangers in the Multiverse was strangely humbling and, yet, somehow encouraging.

"No, the honour was all mine. Truly, the Ultra Rangers are the strongest Rangers in the Multiverse."

Releasing the young man's hand, Tommy looked out at the assembled ponies and waved his farewells. They cheered him on and stomped on the ground in appreciation of all they had done for them. Entering the Interdimensional Shuttle, he sat down at the controls and looked around. It was clear that Billy had to do some work in allowing all six of them to sit in the main cockpit comfortably, but he wasn't really complaining. Flicking on the main power, he felt the shuttle beneath him rumble to life as he activated the rockets on the bottom. The shuttle slowly rose off the ground and Tommy felt his eyes being drawn to the images on the screen in front of him. The Dimensional Doorway had opened up and the Ultra Rangers were making their way through after saying their farewells to the ponies. When the Orange Ranger was the only one left, he turned to look up at the shuttle, summoned his Sabre to him in a gleam of light and saluted the leaving Rangers. As the Orange Ranger left through the portal and the hatch started to close, Tommy could see Billy looking at the ponies and saying something that apparently was a great shock to them. Dismissing it as none of his business anymore, Tommy looked out at the expanse of sky in front of them and glanced at his friends on either side of him.

It was time to go home.

TBC…


	129. Coming Night

AN: This is the final chapter of Rangers of Equestria! Thanks to those of you who have stuck through all chapters, twists and turns…but there's still more to come. With me, there's always more to come! Enjoy…and stay tuned!

Pinkie Note: hey everypony! Hope you had fun reading! Lots of good stuff coming up in the future so stay tuned, sports fans! Wait…why am I saying they're sports fans?

Chapter 129: Coming Night

It couldn't end like this.

He wouldn't let it.

Clutching the crystal close to his chest, Discord flew high in the air while searching for a place to build a new base. Gilda was in the hooves of the Rangers, Tricksy was nowhere to be found and Goldar was nothing more than a memory and a smear on the ground. Zedd was nowhere to be found either and there was the nagging thought in the back of his mind that told him that he had been destroyed. He shook his head and chuckled ironically as he felt tears prick his eyes. For so long, he had been an independent entity and would never have bowed down to anyone. However, in the last few months, he had become more and more devoted to Zedd and following his campaign of conquest…and it didn't have anything to do with his lost horn. The thought that one of the meddling Elements of Harmony was present in a small degree in him was laughable, but there was not denying the overwhelming loyalty he had felt towards his Lord.

He lost track of time as he searched. Hours turned into days turned into weeks turned into months turned into years. He saw the gradual rebuilding of Ponyville and Canterlot as well as the first shoots sprouting up in the Everfree Forest. Now, a direct assault on Canterlot would be next to impossible as high walls were constantly guarded by ponies and Rangers alike. A few times, he had been forced to hide as one of the massive Zords flew close to him…but for some strange reason, none of them ever seemed to sense his presence. Eating had been a challenge and he had to resort to stealing from whatever pony he could. On occasion, he had even revisited the apple orchards of the Red Ranger and picked off a few apples. He wondered what she thought of that but he had to be careful; the Blue Ranger was almost always sleeping in the orchard…but once again, he was never discovered.

Finally, he spied a lone mountain deep within the Everfree Forest. Flying in through the opening, he blinked in surprise as four individuals loomed out of the darkness. Like himself, they were all humanoid ponies but they were all exuding auras of extreme power. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he would have thought them to be lost monsters of Zedd's. One of them, a strangely bipedal beast with the head and front legs of a horse and the body and legs of a humanoid, stepped forward and looked directly at him. The voice that issued forth from the mouth reminded him greatly of his own.

"You are Discord? The Scourge of Canterlot?"

He nodded slowly. The Dark Ultra Crystal felt warm in his hands and he knew that he had been chosen as its next bearer…or until Lord Zedd was found. Seemingly satisfied with his non-verbal response, the reverse Centaur pulled his lips back in a grotesque parody of a smile and motioned behind him.

"There is something you need to see. Something that will greatly help you in your future battles against the Rangers."

Discord narrowed his eyes once more and slowly walked past the three other ponies. The shadows concealed most of their features but he knew that one of them either needed a bath badly…or was nothing more than a rotting corpse. He prayed to whoever was listening that it was the former; but had a feeling it was more than likely the latter. Well, if nothing else, it would provide to be a great unsettler on the battlefield. Following the figure in front of him down a short passageway, he blinked as he saw the remnants of technology around him. Consoles and screens dotted at walls and there were signs that various electronic devices had been ripped out of their moorings. He was sure that everything would eventually make sense, but why was the strange monster taking him down…

And then he saw it.

His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. There was no way it could be possible. He took one step closer and looked once more. The figure hadn't changed and he felt a slow smile spread over his face. He would let the Rangers have a few more weeks of rest and relaxation and then, with the quickness of a cobra, he would strike.

Victory was finally assured.

The End…?


End file.
